Within the Traces of My Memories
by Pharaohs Queen
Summary: A new girl has arrived at Domino High School, and strangely, both Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura remember her. Who is she and what is her connection with the past? warnings: some OOCness. Rated T for blood in later chapters.
1. The New Girl

Author's Note: Mental conversations are shown by /

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No profit is being made off of the viewing and/or production of this work. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Kazuki Takahashi are the intellectual property of Pharaoh's Queen (That's me, duh). Plus of course, any other relevant information. In plain English, I don't own any of this except the plot and my OC's.

Let's get started!

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Within the Traces of My Memories…

Chapter 1

The New Girl

_Atena_

Down, down the stairs it rolled, the young princess running after it, her handmaiden close behind. The girl was no more than 16 summers old, and she was still dropping things. Her father sighed as she ran past him on the stairway, bowing clumsily and not stopping as she ran after the small piece of gold. The lady however, stopped and touched her forehead to the ground before him. _Humph._ He thought. _The servant at least bowed. _He grinned. _Not that I like it that much anyways._

Panting, the girl reached the bottom of the stairs and starting searching for that glint of gold that was her own. Her maid stopped to catch her breath before going to help the princess.

"Here it is!" came the joyful cry. Gently picking up the necklace at the feet of a big statue, she bowed to the goddess before her, silently thanking the goddess in her mind for protecting it from breaking. If it had broken, she didn't know what Father would do to her.

Ignoring the maid's hands, she clasped it on herself. She didn't want anyone to touch it, which is how she dropped it in the first place. Each Item had chosen it's bearer, and the Millennium Tauk had chosen her. She wore it proudly and used the magic seriously.

Laying her first two fingers on the golden sculpted eye, Atena walked out onto a balcony in the blazing Egyptian sun, enjoying the warmth given by the sun god, Ra. This was always her favorite time of the day, when the sun was not at its strongest, but was still enough to keep someone from getting cold. She sighed, feeling the slight warmth on her bronze arms, and wishing the days could always be like this.

The maid stood silently by, letting her mistress have some time to her self. Soon it would not be like this, for the princess would have to marry soon, and she would need to stay inside, and tend to matters of the house. She sighed. She could not imagine her lady, with such an open spirit, to be bound by the trivial matters of marriage. The servant grinned to herself, thinking about her lady actually sitting still with a child on her lap. The thought was almost laughable.

Hearing footsteps behind her, the princess whirled around, startled. Her father laughed as he came around the corner. "Father!" she said. "Don't scare me like that!" He just laughed and came to stand next to her on the balcony. Atena waved the handmaiden away, who bowed and retreated silently.

They said nothing, just stood next to each other and watched the sun sink slowly over the west side of the Nile River, the water was sparkling as the sun hit it. The princess looked at her father. With all the gold he wore shining in the dying sun, he looked like a golden piece of the river itself. Father sighed again. _I wonder how he does it. _Atena thought. _Being Pharaoh and all. He has never really seemed stressed. He just does he duty to the gods and spends time with us._

Her fathers voice interrupted her thoughts. "My daughter, I have been thinking," he paused. The princess stiffened slightly. "About your marriage." Atena relaxed. _So that was it. I thought it would be something more important. _Her father turned to her, a fire burning in his eyes that she had seen rarely before. "My problem is, who to choose for you. I do not want you to be unhappy, so I have decided to let you help me choose." The princess jumped with excitement and clapped her hands.

"Oh Father! Thank you so much! I know exactly who I want." She looked around as he came through the doorway. "Atem."

At the sound of his name, her half brother came to her and put his arm around her skinny waist. He smiled kindly. "We both love each other very much, and I believe that I will be happiest with him." The violet eyes of Atem and Pharaoh's grey eyes were both showing the same emotion looking at her.

Pharaoh smiled looking at the pair of them. "Very well. It will be arranged when great Ra lights the sky up once more with his light."

The great sun boat disappeared over the western horizon, leaving the sky a dark inky black color, dotted with stars.

_Aieko_

I hate school.

I don't think any body hates it more than I do. Even moving from a different country, my parents still want me to make it to the first day.

Joy.

The bus bounced, breaking into my thoughts by throwing me onto another poor person, and thus causing a domino effect. Although I'll admit that it was really cool, it was pretty disastrous. And what do I start doing?

I start laughing so hard that I almost started to cry. (Come on, it was funny!)

What kind of wacko laughs when they knock a bus full of people over? Me.

_Shut up. _I told that little voice in my head. Don't you just hate that little voice that always bugs you and…

I was interrupted again by a moan that came from the guy I knocked over. I untangled myself from him, brushed myself off, and offered a hand to help him up. He looked up at me. I blinked. This kid had **white hair **and the most gorgeous brown eyes that I had ever seen. I gawked, I couldn't help it.

I had enough sense to pull him up, at least. I started to apologize, and then realized that I was speaking in English. I stopped talking, and tried to rearrange my thoughts back in Japanese. The white haired kid grinned. "It's okay," he said in the most stunning English accent that I had ever heard. "I know English too."

I started to blush. I could feel my face going hot.

"My name is Bakura Ryo, but you may call me Bakura. Everyone does." He smiled at me, and I could feel my face getting redder. He waved his hand towards the group that had also been knocked down. "These are my friends. Honda." A tall boy with brown hair nodded at me. "Jonouchi." The blonde one winked and gave me a thumbs-up sign. "Anzu." The girl gave me a small wave. "And Yugi." A very small boy with incredibly spiky hair waved also. "Hi," he said, peering up at me. Now I am pretty short for my age, but this kid made me feel like a giant! "You must be new here. Nice to meet you!" He stuck out his hand and I shook it. "I'm Aieko. Nice to meet you too."

The bus stopped suddenly and we all almost fell over again. "Domino High School," crackled the bus loud speaker.

I turned to the group. "Do you guys get off here too?" They all nodded and started filing off the bus.

Bakura and Yugi each grabbed one of my hands and pulled me off the bus towards the school. "Don't worry," Bakura whispered to me in English. "You're going to like it here."

I felt my face go red again.

_This Bakura guy is really nice. I think I'm starting to like him. And Yugi's not too bad either._ I smirked. _For a shrimp._

_Atena_

Atena happily climbed into her bed. Not only was she getting married, but also it was to someone that she actually wanted! This hardly ever happened. She closed her eyes, thanking in her head all the gods and goddesses that she knew for bestowing this great blessing upon her.

With her eyes closed, the princess didn't notice the shadows that were creeping into the room. Shadows that were darker than the night sky. They were creeping along the floor, inching slowly to the princess's bed. The Millennium Necklace on the bedside table next to her glowed angrily in response. Atena, on the verge of sleep, didn't see it.

On the other side of the palace, an old man in a dark robe was standing absolutely still, his arms raised up. The man's golden eye was glowing, and he could not suppress a smile in spite of himself. The plan was going perfectly. Now the young prince won't get married, and that annoying girl wouldn't run the risk of producing an heir. He pushed the darkness closer to the princess's bed. Soon her soul would be swallowed up and never able to return…

Atem lay back on his bed, hands resting behind his head. He couldn't stop grinning, or thinking about his new bride-to-be. Tomorrow, everything that he'd ever dreamed of would come true. He yawned, starting to feel sleepy at last. "Tomorrow. I can't wait." His eyes started to close…

Atem sat up. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He grabbed the large gold item on the table next to him. Quickly whispering some well-chosen words to it, it started to glow. The shadows that had started creeping into his room were lit up, and they shrank back away from the bright yellow light that it was giving off. But they were not backing away fast enough from the other room that they were entering. Atem growled low in his throat as he slipped the thin rope over his head. They shadows were crawling into Atena's room. He had to hurry to her before—

Atena screamed.

Across the palace, the man with the golden eye laughed evilly.

_Yugi_

Being short is NOT fun at all. The worst things always happen. I was squished when the bus stopped suddenly and knocked us all down.

I heard someone laughing hysterically. After I got out from underneath everyone, I turned around to see whom it was.

There was a girl standing that was tangled up with Bakura. She was laughing so hard that she was almost crying. She was kind of pretty.

I felt a twitch from Yami's soul room. /What is it? I asked. Yami said nothing. I could feel him staring at the girl. I waved my mental hand in front of his face. He didn't even blink. She was staring at this strange girl as though he was trying to remember if and where he had seen her before. /What is it? I asked again. No response. /Yeah, she's kind of pretty, but there's no need for you just to keep staring at her. Yami turned to me.

/Sorry, but I know that girl. I remember her… he trailed off. He looked almost sadly back at the girl.

I blinked. /You remembered something? Just by looking her?

/Yes, but all that I can remember is that she feels very important to me, but I can't remember any more than that. He looked frustrated.

We both watched the girl pull up Bakura off the floor. He said something in English to her, and she started to blush a bit. I stared out the window, wondering if they were going to start a whole new conversation in English.

Bakura was speaking to everyone, so I decided to pay attention. He pointed to me. "And Yugi." He was saying. I waved. The girl had that look in her eyes that said she wanted to start cracking up again, and I think I know why.

I walked up to her. "Hi. You must be new here. Nice to meet you!" I held out my hand and she shook it. She smiled back at me. "I'm Aieko. Nice to meet you too." Autumn time. What a great name. It fit her well.

As soon as she touched my hand, I could feel Yami twinge back in his soul room. He practically yelped. I could **hear** him start to breathe really heavily.

The bus stopped again, and we all had to concentrate to keep from falling over again.

"Domino High School," said the driver.

Aieko turned back to Bakura and I. "Do you guys get off here too?" I nodded, not wanting to speak in case Yami decided to do something crazy.

She looked at us like _Well?_ and Bakura and I each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her off the bus. Yami wanted to switch with me, but I thought it best that I was leading around the school. I could feel his heart pounding.

_What's to be nervous about? _I thought.

/I heard that. came the reply.

_Aieko_

Yugi and Bakura dropped me off at the check-in office. In a moment, a fat old lady walked up to me (I don't mean to be rude, but she was!). She frowned at me, her eyes glaring at the jeans that I was wearing.

"You are Matina Aieko, Correct?" She said in a surprisingly gruff voice. Creepy.

"Yep, that's me!" I smiled and received a fresh glare in return. _What on earth did I do? It's only the first day and already my teacher hates me. _Crap. Not good at all.

"Follow me and I will take you to our class." She turned sharply, which was surprising, considering all the weight she had around her middle, and starting walking away.

"I am your teacher, Ms. Korowai. Welcome to Domino High School." She slid a door aside and gestured me in.

I had just been introduced to the class when the first wave of weakness came. Ms. Korowai tapped me on the shoulder. I looked at her with glazed eyes.

"Did you hear me?" I shook my head. No. "I said make sure that you come to school in your appropriate uniform tomorrow…"

I didn't hear the rest of what she was saying after I collapsed on the floor in a dead faint.

_A small girl was in a room made of stone. She was screaming hysterically and trying to run away from a blackness that was enveloping her. I yelled in surprise and ran towards her. A boy bursted into the room. I stopped and stared at him._

_It was Yugi, I swear it._

_He ran to the girl and was trying to pull her out of the evil shadows. I ran over to help, but my hand passed through hers as I reached for her._

_Then the pendant around Yugi's neck began to glow. I heard him yell something in a strange language. Then the light from whatever was around his neck lit up the girls face. I gasped._

_I was looking at myself._

I woke up, gasping and shaking. I felt cold and realized that I was drenched in sweat. Details of the dream kept flashing in front of my eyes. The ancient Yugi, the black shadows, the girl that looked exactly like me.

Yugi was kneeling beside me. "Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale."

I looked into his eyes, trying to hold onto consciousness when I saw I something that I couldn't believe

_There are two Yugi's? _My last thought before I fainted again.

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Author's Note: Cool…That has got to be the best version that I've written of that chapter. As a side note, yes, all of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs were married to their sisters or half-sisters to 'keep the blood line pure'. Gross, but true. 

Oh, and don't worry about Item possession right now. It'll all fix itself in the end.

Review please!


	2. The Past Returns

Author's Note: ok, since this isn't working, ' and ' will show mental conversations between people. _Italics_ are thoughts.

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Chapter 2

The Past Returns

_Atem _

The sun rose, gently resting its warm light on the sleeping figure in the bed. Atem sat right next to the sleeping princess, looking exhausted, but keeping a sharp eye on the door. He had stayed up all night to keep the shadows from returning, and to keep Atena calm. She would fall into a fitful sleep, only to wake up screaming again. Atem was the only one who was able to calm her down.

Atem stood up and stretched, giving a big yawn as he did so. The shadows had returned four times that night, and he really wanted to get some sleep.

He heard a small rustle behind him. He whirled around, puzzle flashing, ready to greet a new enemy, but it was only Atena sitting up to stare out the window, at the sun. Atem smiled, silently laughing at himself for being ready to fight something that was no longer there. He quietly walked over to Atena and put his arm around her shoulders.

"The sun is beautiful, isn't it?" Atena nodded. A small frown creased the corners of Atem's mouth. Why wasn't she talking? True, last nights incident had been very frightening, but he wanted to get her to talk. To hear her voice after a nightmare like that would be like drink of water after a very long day in the desert.

Atena turned abruptly and grabbed Atem in a tight hug.

"You saved me. I cannot thank you enough." She gave him a little squeeze.

Atem wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her back. Then he gave a little laugh. "You can thank me by still going on with this wedding." Atena giggled. Atem relaxed. _At least she's happy now._

The golden-eyed man cursed quietly. This would not do, defiantly not. He needed to come up with another plan. He paced around the cold stone room in a circle. What to do, what to do, what…

He grinned as wisps of a plan formulated in his mind. All he needed now, he decided, was for the two brats to get married. Then he could save time and strike two ducks with one arrow. He laughed once more, and then yawned. _I should be getting to bed now._

_Aieko_

"Aieko! Aieko!"

I jerked awake at the insistent whispering and groaned towards the whitewashed wall. Sleep felt so good, why did I have to be woken up now?

I moaned again and rolled over onto my other side, slowly, to see who had the nerve to wake me up. Brown eyes and white hair filled my vision. I jumped.

"Don't do that!"

The deep brown eyes filled with confusion. "Don't do what?"

"Wake me up and get right in my face like that!"

"Sorry." Bakura backed away a bit so I could see his entire face. He was kneeling beside the bed I was in. "I was really worried about you." My heart melted at these words. How often will you hear a guy confess that? I smiled and sat up slowly—it made my head start to spin—and took a good look around the room.

I must've been in the nurse's office. Everything was white. Bakura's hair almost blended in perfectly with the walls. Poking around the corner was a point of black hair, lined with red. _That must be Yugi. That kid's hairdo is not hard to forget. _I could hear a mummer of voices outside the door, but I couldn't make out the words.

I fell back down on the bed. My head still hurt, and the white pillows were soft. I felt a hand reach out and start to stroke my hair. I cracked open my eyes and gave Bakura a small smile, then went back to my sleep.

_Ryou Bakura_

Yugi wasn't the only one to receive a reaction from his darker side. Except my Yami wasn't cool and collected like the Pharaoh. No. Of course not. He jumped and yelped at the sight of Aieko.

'What is it?' I asked, only slightly concerned.

'It's her. I can't believe that she's here!' Yami just stared at her. When I grabbed her hand to pull her off the bus, he yelped again.

After we left Aieko at the check-in office, I reached out with a mental hand and knocked tentatively on Yami's soul room door. It pounded open and Yami came bursting out.

'Holy Ra, she's here!' he yelled at me. 'Why is she here?' He started to pace back and forth. 'There's no real reason for her to be here is there? Has she found out that I'm here?' he murmured.

I was extremely confused. He has never reacted to a single person this way before. 'Um… if you don't mind my asking, what is the big deal with her?'

He turned and glared in my direction. 'Yes, I do mind you asking.' The Ring glowed slightly under my shirt and the shadow of my Yami formed beside me. He had turned around and was still looking at Aieko.

He glanced sideways at me. 'She really is quite beautiful, isn't she?' I blushed. His expression softened a bit as he looked back at Aieko. He pounded his forehead. 'I still can't believe… Argh! Why didn't I…' He hit himself again and again. 'Curse that Pharaoh!' He yelled at the ceiling. He growled again, no doubt cursing the Pharaoh once more with a few choice words (I wondered where he learned those). The sprit form faded as he retreated into the Ring once more, still muttering. I mentally stood on the spot, blinking.

I felt a tap on my back. "Bakura?" I turned to look at Yugi. He had a strange look on his face that I couldn't read. Was it worry? Or confusion?

"Does…Does he" Yugi gestured at the Ring, "Remember her at all?"

I looked over my shoulder at Aieko, then smiled at Yugi. "You both would've laughed at his reaction." My smile faded slightly as I looked at Yugi's Puzzle. "The Pharaoh doesn't remember her at all, does he?" I pulled out the Ring from under my shirt, touching each of the five points that hung from it. One glowed and pointed at the Puzzle. "My question wasn't answered. He just pounded himself and cursed."

As we reached our classroom, I slid the Ring under my shirt again.

_Yugi _

As Ms. Korowai slid open the door, everybody rushed to their seats. Ms. Korowai thumped in (she could not walk normally if her life depended on it.). Aieko came in after her, looking slightly out of place in her jeans and t-shirt. She faced the class, looking almost bored.

'She's scared.' said Yami.

I nearly turned my head at his voice. 'How can you tell?'

'It's in her eyes. You can almost always tell what another is feeling just by looking into their eyes.' Yami replied, never looking away from her.

"Class," boomed Ms. Korowai, "this is Matina Aieko. I hope you will all make her feel welcome here at Domino High." She glared at all of us as if to say _Or else._

Aieko's hands came out of her pockets and her eyes closed slightly. Ms. Korowai tapped her on the shoulder and Aieko shook her head. Her eyes went wide, and she collapsed.

Bakura and I were at her side before she even hit the floor. Yami was there beside me, helping us lay her down gently. Surprisingly enough, so was Yami Bakura.

We laid her gently on the floor when a flash of light caught my eye. I looked and saw the Millennium symbol glowing on Aieko's forehead. Judging by the intake of breath, I guessed Bakura saw it also. It faded, and Aieko opened her eyes. She was shaking.

"Hey are you okay?" I asked her. "You look a little pale."

She didn't answer me. Aieko was, instead, staring behind me, where Yami was.

_No. _I thought. _There is no way she can see him. There can't be._

Aieko closed her eyes and fainted again.

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Sorry. Did the timing confuse you? Well, I'm not gonna change it, cuz I like it this way. Nyah. :P so there. 

Chapter 3 is coming soon. features Bakura and Atena. a flash back. why? cuz it works that way.


	3. Bakura Remembers

Note: The whole village scene was inspired by my friend Amanda's one-shot "Stained Red". It is very good...

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Chapter 3

Bakura Remembers

_Yami Bakura _

This is the second time I've seen her walk come into my life and the second time I've seen the Pharaoh walk away with her.

No. I shouldn't try to think about that. It would be… we couldn't be…

ARGH!

Grrrrrr. Why did the Pharaoh have to step in?

She was really the only one I could trust…

(Begin flashback)

_Bakura_

When the dust and smoke had finally cleared from the village, all the soldiers were gone.

I didn't open my eyes, or come out from under the blanket that Mother had all of a sudden pushed me into. I didn't want to. The sounds were all that I needed to hear.

_Please Ra, Isis, any god who can hear me! _I began to pray._ Let this all be some dream, just some dream that I can wake up from. Please Osiris, no deaths._

I stood up from under the blanket, and opened my eyes.

I wish I never had. The Gods had not heeded my prayer.

Everywhere was red. Blood. On the floor, on the pots, on the walls, on the ceiling even. Then I found the people. Mother looked so peaceful, like she was asleep. If it were not for the blood staining the edge of her silky white hair, I would've gone over to her and tried to shake her awake.

I wandered out of my house. There were my villagers, spread around everywhere.

Why? Why my village? We were peaceful enough, but everyone has been denied an even happier life in the afterworld!

I started wandering in and out of all the houses. With nothing to do, except ask 'why?', I counted. 700 dead. Everyone. They had killed everyone—except me.

There was no one in the last house. That's because it's been deserted for as long as I can remember.

As I walked out of the house, I tripped and fell to my knees in the dirt. I couldn't control it. The tears came out, unbidden, and wet spots appeared in the dirt.

Someone called out. Someone with the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, or ever would, for a very long time. I snapped my head up, hastily wiping my tears away.

"Who's there?" The voice was shaking slightly. "I'm warning you, don't make me hurt you…" There was a twanging of a bowstring and the arrow landed in the wall behind me, a few inches above my head.

"Stop! Stop!" I stood up and raced forwards, not wanting any more arrows coming my way. The girl lowered her bow and arrow. I saw her face and my step faltered.

The Pharaoh's daughter was here.

I stood there like an idiot just staring at her. Princess Atena was my age, and the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen (after my mother, of course.)

I had never seen her before. When the royalty paraded around the land, we were not allowed to look directly at them. They were gods and descendants of gods.

Oops.

Realizing my mistake, I fell to my knees, not daring to look up as I could hear her walking closer. Maybe she would kill me, then I could go and join my whole village in the Underworld, and be happy like we once were…

She didn't kill me, but I nearly died of shock anyways as she reached under my chin and brought my face up to meet hers.

"Are you alright?" She whispered. Was she concerned about me? My heart gave a little flutter. She brought her other hand through my hair and down my cheek. My heart pounded a little harder.

Atena straightened up, and offered me her hand. I took it, and the eldest daughter of the Pharaoh helped me, just a lowly peasant, up from the dust.

"You look hungry. Would you like something to eat? Come with me." She turned and started walking over to a small horse that was tied in the shade. I ran after her.

"I'm really sorry about all this." The angelic voice was barely above a whisper again. "I didn't think that the Priests would insist to go this far." I remained silent, staring at the ground. What could I say to that?

Atena broke a loaf of bread in half and gave one to me. I took it and bowed my head in thanks. Atena merely shook her head and handed me a wineskin.

"Please don't do that bowing stuff. I'm sick of it. I get it too much at home." She gave me a little smile. "I guess this means you know who I am."

I blushed.

Atena smiled again, but a little bit bigger. "Don't worry about it. What's your name?"

I swallowed the chunk of bread that was in my mouth with some difficulty. "My…my name is Bakura. And you… you are Princess Atena. No one else could be as beautiful."

I blinked. Wait. _What did I just say?_

Atena was blushing. She stuffed the rest of her bread into her mouth. She turned away from me and grabbed the reins of her horse. She handed them to me. I took them with surprise.

"There is an oasis not far from here. Head towards the Western Horizon, and you will reach it after some time." She turned her back to me again. "There are provisions in the saddlebags, and I will return with more. Go, now, before the soldiers return."

Something inside me stirred and I reached out my hand and took hers. "Princess, why do you do this? I am nothing but a poor peasant, here to serve the Pharaoh and his house. In your eyes, I am worth nothing. So why do you provide all of this for me?"

She turned back around to face me. Her eyes were glowing with emotion. "Because I would not learn to be a good ruler of my people if I didn't help them in their time of need. In that case, I would be nothing in the eyes of the gods. And in the end, it is them who judges our hearts, is it not?" Her eyes clouded over. She seemed to be looking at something far away.

"The soldiers come to remove any trace of inhabitance here. You must go. Now." She squeezed my hand slightly and looked back at me. "Bakura, you must leave here and wait for me at the oasis. I promise I will come back for you."

I didn't move. I was worried about her "Princess…" I started.

"Go! I won't bear to see anyone else killed!" Atena started to let go of my hand, but the something stirred deeply in me again. I grabbed her in a tight embrace, and softly pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes widened with surprise. I drew back and ran my fingers through her soft flame-colored hair. "Thank you. I do not deserve this."

The sound of hoof beats drew closer. I tore myself away from her with much difficulty, jumped onto the horse and started riding away as fast as I could.

The young horse sprang into a gallop and I looked back. Atena was standing there, with her hand on her lips. She regained her composure and waved to me. "May the gods watch over you and guide you in all your doings!"

I called back "May Isis and Hathor protect you in the world of chaos!" And I waved back to her, wishing to stay in her presence longer.

The horse spurred onward, and I soon lost sight of Atena. A love poem I had heard the older boys in the village sing to some of the girls entered my mind:

'_My sister's love is on the far side._

_The river is between our bodies;_

_The waters are mighty at flood-time,_

_A crocodile waits in the shallows._

_I enter the water and brave the waves,_

_My heart is strong on the deep;_

_The crocodile seems like a mouse to me,_

_The flood as land to my feet._

_It is her love that gives me strength,_

_It makes a water-spell for me;_

_I gaze at my heart's desire,_

_As she stands facing me!_

_My sister has come, my heart exults,_

_My arm spread out to embrace her;_

_My heart bounds in its place,_

_Like the red fish in its pond._

_O night, be mine forever,_

_Now that my queen has come!'_

That night, in the oasis, I dreamed of her.

_Yami Bakura_

Even now I still do. Now this old pain reawakens in me, and now my host is experiencing it too.

What spell has this witch place upon us?

Yet I owe her my life.

ARGHHHHHH! WHAT IS GOING ON?

What am I doing? My host walks in my room, and pulls me off my knees.

I murmur, "She doesn't even remember. But I will make her. And she will remember all that she has done to me—I will make her remember the very day she twisted me and threw me to the dogs!" My host rapidly retreats. And I continued my rant.

"She will remember, she will! And I will make sure that she will never forget the day that she made that fatal mistake!" I clench my fists and yell to the sky: "SHE WILL NEVER LIVE IT DOWN!"

'_O night, be mine forever,_

_Now that my queen has come!'_

She comes once more indeed…

And the night is forever mine!

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Author's note: I found the poem, called 'It is Her Love that Gives Me Strength', on this cool site. When it says 'sister', it means lover, not an actual sister. Brother is also used in the same term, so don't get that confused. Hathor is the goddess of love and a protector of women, for those who didn't know. (She doesn't really come up a lot… --')

Sorry it took so long to get this in. I had writer's block.

I also have no idea about what Yami Bakura was like as a child. So I really just made this all up. That's why it's called fiction in the first place! deep breath I hope you all liked it! Review now please!

Oh yeah, and I've decided to give you a little preview about what's gonna happen in the next chapter from now on.

Next time: There's a snowball fight and Aieko meets the yamis.


	4. The Past is Revealed at Last

Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I've been sick (bleagh), and surrounded by siblings (the horror… twitch). Need chocolate…

Disclaimer: blah, blah, blah

Here we go!

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Chapter 4 

The Past is Revealed at Last

_Aieko _

I sat up in bed, the dream once more flashing through my mind. It felt so real, the boy that looked so much like Bakura, and his hand on my waist, his lips on mine.

I looked at my alarm clock. 2:38 A.M. I groaned, there was no way I was going to get anymore sleep tonight. No school tomorrow though, winter break.

I put my slippers on and walked over to my window, savoring the quiet household. With 4 cousins under 12, the house is never quiet. Snow was peacefully falling and starting to pile up too. It was all very nice to look at, and I thought of the Bakura twin in my dreams and started to feel sleepy again…

A dark shape ran across our lawn, leaving deep footprints. I blinked. The footprints disappeared. I must've been dreaming, so tired…

By the time my head hit the pillow, I was asleep, with another dream at hand…

An old man was standing in a room of darkness, mumbling words I could not understand. He turned and looked straight at me, and I saw the golden eye that had replaced his real one. It glowed with a harsh yellow light, and I could feel something trying to claw its way into my mind.

_I screamed and hit the floor, when this thought crossed my mind. _How can he see me? No one else in my other dreams could.

_Something brightened behind me and the claw at my mind retreated. I turned and saw a person with a ring with five points dangling from it, but it did not illuminate his face enough. I wanted to run to him to see who it was, but a great pain in my abdomen woke me up._

My cousins were jumping on my bed and on me. "Look outside, Look outside!" They were screaming. My littlest cousin tugged at my hand while the others were gawking outside my window. "Please come and play with us in the snow, Cousin Aieko."

I grinned. No one could resist her puppy dog eyes. "Alright. But you guys have to get out of here so I can get dressed!" I tickled them out.

I sat on my bed and started to pull on my winter clothes. Then I got an idea. _I hope everybody likes snowball fights as much as my family does…_

_Yugi_

Anzu, Honda, Jono, Bakura, and I were standing on the Matina's front yard; two snow forts had been built. "Do any of you guys know what Aieko wanted?" asked Honda. "She just told me it was something important." Anzu put in.

'I wonder what?' Yami wondered.

I never got to answer because a snowball landed squarely on the back of my head and started dripping down my neck. Judging from the others yells of surprise, they had gotten hit too.

I turned around and there was Aieko and little kids that looked like her siblings all standing there doubled over in laughter. A snowball whizzed past her head, and she grinned evilly. "ATTACK!" She yelled.

The four of us dove behind one of the forts and huddled there while snowballs crashed all around us. "Is this what Aieko invited us over for?" said Jouo. "If so," he eyed the large pile of snowballs next to him. "then a snowball fight is what she gets!"

He grabbed a few and started hurling them over. I laughed and joined in, along with Honda and Bakura. Anzu just complained about being cold, when a snowball hit her in the face.

Twenty minutes later, we were all inside Aieko's house, with blankets, a fire, and hot chocolate with marshmallows in it.

Aieko sipped her hot chocolate. "Was that fun or what?" We all murmured consent. "I don't know about you guys, but I love snowball fights. They help me to forget some things…"

Bakura put his hot chocolate down and looked very intently at Aieko. "Like what things?"

"Well…" Aieko started, but Anzu jumped up. "Wow! Look at the time! Come on Jono, Honda. It's time to go. Thanks for the hot chocolate Aieko."

She smiled and nodded and walked them out the door.

Aieko sat back down and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "You see, guys, it starts like this…"

_Ryou Bakura_

Aieko finished telling us about her dreams/visions, whatever they were. Yugi and I were both staring at our Yamis, who had shadow-formed beside us.

"So, what's going on? I figured that since you both were in them, that you might have some idea about what's happening to me." She glanced up at me, and her eyes slid over to where my Yami was sitting, then over to Yugi and the Pharaoh. Could she see them?

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Aieko got up and walked to the door.

I looked at Yugi. "Should we tell her about…them? She seems very involved and they both remember her…sort of…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? She deserves to know. And I think that she can see them." Yes, that did make sense.

I turned to my Yami. 'How about it? Do you want to talk to her?' He grinned. 'Why not? I love surprising people. Maybe we'll be able to jog her memory a bit.' He cracked his knuckles and pulled his deck out from his pocket. 'Nothing lethal, yet.' He smirked to my pale face.

I looked at Yugi, and he nodded. "Let's do it."

Aieko came back in the room. "Aieko," I began gently, "Yugi and I both have something…someone to show you. We think that they will be able to help you with your dreams, and your memory."

She looked puzzled. "My…memory? I don't get what you mean, Bakura."

I pulled out my ring from under my shirt, and offered it to her. Yugi did the same. "Look at these Items, Aieko. What do you notice about them?"

She didn't touch them. "That eye… the symbols are the same. But, I feel like I've seen it before…" She looked closer at my Ring. "That's the glowing thing from my dream last night!" She exclaimed, then looked up at me. "But it wasn't you holding it. I didn't see much of the face, but he looked like a priest, or someone important."

She picked up the Items by their ropes, and gave them back to us. "I still don't understand what these…Items, have to do with me."

Yugi slipped the rope of the Puzzle around his neck. "You see, Aieko, we have these…how should I say this, other selves that were sealed in these Items. I hold the Millennium Puzzle, and Bakura has the Millennium Ring. Our other selves came from the time of Ancient Egypt. And I'm guessing that from the dreams you've been having, your other self had an Item too."

Aieko's eyes grew wide. "I've had an Item? And, your 'other selves' are the people in my dreams? Then why do I dream about them and not about you two? I've known you both for longer."

"I think it's time for you to meet them, Aieko." I placed my hand on hers and squeezed gently.

I knocked on my Yami's door. 'Go talk to her now, and help her. But… please don't hurt her.' He smirked. 'Don't worry, I won't hurt your new girlfriend.' Sarcasm. What a familiar sound in his voice.

The Ring flashed and I retreated to my own soul room, watching and waiting for something to happen.

_Yami_

The transition complete, I looked at her. This girl had filled in some of the holes in my memories, but not enough for me to completely remember her. I reached for her hand, wanting to hold it, as if contact was enough to get me to remember; when it was knocked away by another.

I looked at Bakura. No, not Ryou Bakura. Bakura the Tomb Robber, who had destroyed so many things in my life.

"Always the jealous one, aren't you, Thief?"

"How about you, Pharaoh? You're the one who has everything!"

"Except a memory! One thing you have that I don't." Anger started to boil up inside of me when Aieko spoke.

"Who are you two, and what have you done with my friends?"

Bakura turned to her. "Atena, don't you remember me? The boy from the bloody village of Kul Elna. The boy without a family. The boy you promised your life to, and forgot completely." He gestured to me. "For him." He spat out the last word like there was something slimy in his mouth.

"No, my darling." I interjected. "Don't listen to him. Please try to remember all of the times we had together. You must." She stared at me and I continued. "Because I can't."

Aieko's eyes grew wider. "I've seen you two, before. Not in my dreams, but around the school… You're always following Yugi and Bakura around. Why? Does it have to do with those Items?"

"Yes, we are connected to our 'other selves' by these Items. They have everything to do with your past self."

"My past self?"

Bakura smirked. "Yes, I'm surprised she hasn't made herself known to you yet, that traitorous witch. If she were to come out, I would tell her a thing or too." He reached for Aieko. "Come out, my dear love. I just merely want to talk; about what should be…"

I held Bakura's arm back. "She has had no experience with them before. It is possible that may be what causes her other self to emerge."

'That makes sense.' Yugi put in, looking thoughtful. 'She's probably never heard of the Shadow Realm before, either.'

'Let's not bring that up to Bakura, he might get ideas.' I said back. 'But you're right. So which Item was hers?'

I turned to Aieko, looking at her thoughtfully. On impulse, I put my hand in my pocket and drew out the Millennium Tauk. "Aieko, please hold this for me. We just need to see something."

Bakura growled. "So that's where you've been keeping that one. I've always wondered where it was."

She hesitated. But she finally reached out and took the Tauk from my hands.

A bright flash erupted from the Item. Aieko gasped and the Millennium symbol appeared on her forehead once more. She gasped once more and went limp, the Tauk still clutched in her hand.

A sigh escaped from Aieko's lips. She stirred and looked up at us. She had changed, I noticed. Her eyes had more green in them, and her hair seemed to be a bit more fuzzy than normal.

"Long time no see Pharaoh." She fixed her eyes on Bakura. "And I haven't forgotten you, Bakura. We will have our long talk, don't you worry."

She grinned once more as she hooked the Tauk back into place around her neck. "The Pharaoh's queen is back boys, and she would like to know what in the beloved name of Ra is going on here."

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Cha! You all like, right? Sorry it took me so long to type, writer's block sucks. :p

Oh well.

Next time: Bakura and Atena meet up again, and a fight ensues…

Oh and my sister wants me to type this: TO BE CONTINUED…

And a hug and a kiss to all people who reviewed my new story, from their favorite characters!

Be back later!


	5. A Familiar Face

I'M BAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK! Chapter 5! Yeah! Enjoy! (aaa… too happy….)

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Chapter 5 

A Familiar Face

_Atena_

The sun boat was high in the sky. Atena stood on her balcony, looking over the city. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could smell the flowers and fronds in the nearby gardens, the raw fish and meat from the vendor's stalls in the city, and the ever present smell of humans.

A shock of pearly white among the green in the garden caught her eye. Atena's eyes widened slightly as she remembered a face from long ago. She ran out of her room and down the stairs.

Two minutes later, Atena was down under the palm trees brought from a nearby oasis. She was pushing aside branches and looking up trees to find the white-haired boy from long ago—the boy who had been the first to kiss her…

"My lady?"

Atena jumped at the voice and spun around. It was only a servant. "Yes, what is it?" she inquired.

The servant bowed his head. "My lady, the crown prince, your fiancée, requests that you eat dinner with him tonight. He says he has an important matter to talk with you about. My lady?" Atena had started looking under a bench for the boy. She straightened up at the servant's voice. "Yes, yes, tell him I will be there tonight—if the matter is all that important. Did he happen to mention what it would be?"

The servant shook his head. "No, my lady. Only that it is of utmost importance."

Atena turned at the rustle of leaves in a tree. "Right then. Go give him my message that I will be there tonight, and that I want pomegranates served." The servant bowed once more, wished her long life and prosperity, and ran off into the palace.

Atena grinned at the white hair she had glanced in the tree, and walked off as if she was going to go look somewhere else. Since she was listening hard, she heard the small sigh of relief. She continued on, making more noise than necessary, doubled back, and started to climb the tree, being silent as the Master Hunter had taught her. The white-haired figure had his back to her. Atena grinned again.

_Bakura_

It was lucky for the both of us that the tree was low to the ground; else the foolish girl would've killed us. I didn't even hear her coming, Seth take her.

We fell out of the tree together, and I somehow managed to land on my back with the princess pinning my shoulder to the dusty ground.

I gasped, more from surprise than pain, and managed a small glare at Atena, who had a look of a cat that had just caught a desert rat. "Hello, Princess." I breathed out. She was more beautiful than on the day we had met, with dark kohl lining her eyes, the make-up on her cheeks, and a fashionable wig, under which I could see a bit of her natural red hair. I blushed again, curse it.

She grinned a jackal grin. "It's nice to see you again, Bakura." Her face leaned in towards mine, and I caught a whiff of the perfume she was wearing. "You really shouldn't bee here; if a guard had caught you rather than me…" she left the end hanging awkwardly in the air. She stood up and let me brush myself off.

"I didn't plan to have anybody find me down here. I wanted to talk to you up in your room, but those servants were always hanging around. It's hard to sneak anywhere in here." I glanced at her again, a glint of gold catching my eye. What I saw made my heart stop. Around her slender neck was one of the cursed Millennium Items that my village had been destroyed for.

I turned to her, hate boiling all of a sudden within me. "So you have forgotten me enough that you wear an Item of my village's destruction and now that…that so-called prince is now you're husband-to-be? I had no idea of this." She turned away. I grabbed her shoulders to have her face me. By Ra, I was angry! "You promised me something in that oasis, princess. I've come to have you fill that promise." Her eyes darted towards the ground. "Bakura, I…"

"No, I won't give up what we promised! You said you had given your complete love to me, but I come back to find you bound to that…that…" I struggled to find a word suitable enough to use in front of a princess. "Your half-brother! By Ra's secret name Atena! I thought you would at least try to look for me before…" I stumbled over my words at the sight of her face.

She had a tear running down her cheek. Looking me straight in the eye, Atena, the Royal princess of Egypt told me the words I knew I would never forget.

"Bakura, I did wait for you. I constantly went back to the oasis after you left. I tried to find you Bakura! After two years of not seeing or hearing anything of you, I assumed that you had forgotten about me, or…something else. I agreed to marry Atem because I thought you had passed on to Osiris! Some force was certainly nudging me towards him! Just as the Tauk had chose me to bear it!" She broke out into full sobs.

Dang it, I hate it when girls cry! Nevertheless, I brought Atena close to me, as I had held her six years ago, on the fateful day when we first met.

"Atena, please…"

A tremor rocked the ground, forcing the two of us apart. I looked up in the direction of the royal palace. The crown prince stood on the banister of his balcony; one hand pointing at me, the other gripping an Item I knew all too well. Another one of the seven that my village had been sacrificed for.

"Lay your hands off of her tomb robber!"

I stood up, and made a mock bow. "My Prince!" I yelled back, putting every drop of sarcasm I could muster into my voice. "Such a lovely day today! We must praise Ra for the sunshine!"

A bolt of magic fired from the prince's outstretched finger. Such an easy dodge, I saw it coming from the other end of the kingdom.

"I trust you enjoyed the present I sent to you for congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I've heard your grandfather liked those jewels very much Atem!"

Atena gasped as she realized the horrible crimes I had committed. I turned to look at her. Her face was as white as the linen she wore. It was my turn for a jackal grin.

"You were never told about how one of the great tombs of the Pharaohs had been ransacked and defiled? Well now you know, my dear." I bowed to her, missing another bolt fired at me from the balcony. I turned to look at Atem. "Please, your highness, I'm trying to converse with this lovely young lady." His face went even redder with anger. His raised his hand, to deal a more damaging blow, but I got there first.

Plucking a little golden scarab that I had grabbed from one of the tombs, I threw it at the Prince, speaking the release command as I did so.

The golden scarab transformed in a poof of smoke into a group of giant angry black beetles that went straight for the Pharaoh-to-be's face.

I laughed evilly as Atena screamed.

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HAHA! CLIFFHANGER! Augh! Don't kill me! dodges tomatoes, knifes, and…Honda? (what? Who threw him? That's ok! ) sorry it took me so long…

Next time! Bakura kills people, something happens that shouldn't have, and we get to meet a cool new character!

Yea! (augh… still too happy…OD'd on chocolate….)

(loopy, loopy, loopy…. )


	6. The Depths of Another's Mind

Sorry, I lied. I have to put this in first before the fight continues. (evil grin muahhahahaha!) I never thought I would get this far in a story! Exciting…

Enjoy!

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Chapter 6 

The Depths of Another's Mind

_Aieko _

Oh… man. That was weird. Yugi, Bakura, and those other people that looked like them….calling me DARLING! AND A TRAITOROUS WITCH! What's that about?

Man…my head hurts…what am I lying on? It's so cold; not the carpet or the fireplace at home… then I'm not at home…

Crap.

My eyes snapped open and I sat up quickly. I wasn't at home. I was in some stone room. At each of the four walls were doors. One of them was slightly ajar. I walked to it.

Light was coming out, and I could hear voices talking. Two were the other halves of Bakura and Yugi, I could tell that much. But the other…sounded strangely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I opened the door wider, and saw the face of the girl in my dreams. IN MY BODY! What the heck!

I tapped her on the…er...my shoulder. "Excuse me. What are you doing in my body? I would like it back please."

She just looked at me with questioning eyes. "I beg your pardon? Your body?" She laughed the laugh of someone who was always getting her way. "I don't know what you're talking about servant…"

"SERVANT! Look at what you're wearing! Would you have worn that in your day, Princess?" What? Princess? Where did that come from? (I'm losing it, I must be…)

She looked at her clothes in confusion, then back up at Bakura and Yugi. We were back in my living room. But wait a minute… I looked down at myself.

I was see-through, like the real Yugi and Bakura were now; sitting next to their counterparts.

"Yugi? Bakura? What the heck is going on here! Some spoiled person has taken over my body, she thinks I'm her servant, and I'm a flippin' ghost! And why did I just call her 'Princess'? I'm so confused…"

Yugi smiled. "Atena hasn't taken over your body. You guys are sharing it, through the Millennium Necklace. That's why you're able to create a shadow form of yourself." I looked down at my hands and wiggled my fingers. "Also," Yugi continued, "Atena was a princess, and you know it, now that you share a body." He grinned. "And that may explain the spoiled attitude."

Hmmm… defiantly interesting. A shadow form. I could have fun with this…

POUND!

I yelped, clutching my head. "What was that for?"

"Pay attention girl." The other Bakura growled. "We're trying to figure out what happened, and your help is needed."

I sighed. "Look, all I can remember is touching that Items, and waking up in a stone room with four doors." Yugi and his other looked at me sharply, then over at Atena. She nodded.

"Come on, Aieko. I have a lot to show you about myself." Atena grabbed my hand. I looked back at Yugi. "How is she going to do that?" Atena answered for him.

"We're going back into that stone room you were in. That is my soul room. You will find many answers there."

Yugi and Bakura got up. "We'll leave now Aieko. No need to show us out. And thanks very much for inviting us over." I watched as Yugi and Bakura took over their own bodies, with the obvious reluctance of their other halves.

Atena grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's get started."

As Atena took me through all her memories, I couldn't help but gap at some of the things she had been through. Some of which, I had seen before. What surprised me the most, however, was the dueling. In all I had heard about Ancient Egypt, I had never heard this before.

While we were watching a duel between a priest and a thief, Atena asked me this: 'Do you duel Aieko?'

'Sometimes. I'm not a champion, I'm pretty bad actually, but I like to. It's fun. Especially when I get one of my rare wins.'

'Do you have a favorite monster?'

'Yeah. Hang on, I'll show you.' I pulled out my deck and started shuffling through it, until I found it. I handed it over to Atena. She drew in a sharp breath. 'What? Is something wrong?'

She shook her head and handed my deck back to me. 'No, but now there's defiantly a certain memory that I have to show you now. And it has something to do with that card.'

I looked at it again. 'My 'Wing Weaver' card? What do you mean?' I asked cautiously. This 'other half' business was getting more and more complicated as it went along.

Atena took my hand and pulled me toward a different door. This door had little golden lines weaving all around it. I reached out and traced one with my finger. 'Interesting… what's this?'

She smiled a tired looking smile. 'It's one of my more special memories… The Priests marked it so I would always remember it.' She pushed open the door. 'Now witness the event that changed my life. You won't believe that it has something to do with that card in your hand…'

The door opened all the way. After a bright flash of light, we were looking over a courtyard with lots of plants. There were three people standing there… and they all looked kind of familiar…

_Yugi's double, Bakura's double, and Atena were all in the courtyard. Bakura was talking to Atena. He bowed to her, and Yugi shot a bolt of…dark something at him. Bakura turned to him and yelled back: "Please, your highness, I'm trying to converse with this lovely young lady!" Yugi raised his hand, but Bakura threw something that glittered gold in the sun at him. He yelled an unfamiliar word, and a giant black cloud flew at Yugi's face._

_I screamed the same time the Atena on the ground did. The one next to me turned her face away, as though she didn't want to go through this all over again._

_Before the black cloud could reach the other Yugi, a purple light enveloped Atena, with the Necklace glowing brightly on her neck. A shape started to take form behind her, before it finally finished. Atena pointed at the darkness, and the shape behind her released it's own bolt of white light. It enveloped the cloud, and disappeared._

_People who looked like priests and guards rushed onto the scene. Everyone, including myself, gaped at the figure standing behind Atena._

_Atena looked up at Bakura. The figure looked with her. He backed up a step…then another, before he turned tail and ran. Several of the priests and guards in the courtyard ran after him._

_I heard one of the priests murmur. "This can not be happening. The Great Pharaoh commanded that his daughter was not to be put through this. We took extra steps to stop this. How was she able to bring forth her own ka-monster?"_

How indeed…_ I thought to myself._

Atena pushed the door closed. 'Now do you see why we are linked Aieko?' She whispered. I nodded, remembering the figure that Atena had summoned. She turned and continued walking down the hallway. 'I'm always in your mind Aieko. Should you need my help, just think of my name and I will be beside you. It's time for you to go now. Remember what you saw, but don't tell it to anyone.' She grinned. 'I will know if you do. Now go.' She put her hand on my shoulder and gave a little push.

I fell backwards into darkness, and landed back in my own body.

As I clenched and unclenched my hands, making sure they were real, I thought about the last memory Atena had shown me. _I must go back and see it again…_ I thought. _There are many things I could find out about Atena that she won't tell me. I must go back…_

Outside the snow continued to fall silently, piling higher and higher, hiding the footprints of Yugi and Bakura as they walked away from the house.

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DON'T KILL ME! Sorry, I had to put this part in before I continued the rest of what happened in the past.

Wow, that was defiantly the weirdest I've ever written…everything just came out, with no thought…(wow, that was cheesy…--')

Next time: NOW Bakura kills some people, something happens to Atena that shouldn't have, and the girls use the Tauk to find out the truth.

Review now.

Fear me. Muahahahaha evil maniacal laughter


	7. The Emerengence and the Vision

sigh…

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish I was a fish…

Nothing more to write…

oh, and this is where the blood and 'T' rating comes in.

nothing too disturbing... the squemish look away...hahaha... (halloween's getting to me... --')

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Chapter 7 

The Emergence and the Vision

_Atena_

She stood in shock as Bakura easily told her of the way he had ransacked her grandfather's tomb and defiled it. The anger grew within her, spreading though her body. She watched in horror as Atem fired another magic bolt, and as Bakura called forth the deadly scarab cloud.

Atena screamed, and her emotions let loose.

She felt a warm fire spread along her entire being, and a tingling in the tips of her fingers. She looked up at the black cloud, and pointed at it.

A blinding white bolt of a different magic erupted from behind her, and the scarabs were gone. Atena blinked and lowered her hand. Atem was looking at her in astonishment.

She heard a gasp of surprise to her right. Looking over, she saw Bakura had the same expression on his face as Atem did. "Bakura…." She whispered.

He backed away a step, and another, then turned tail and ran. Atena watched him go, with several of the guards giving chase. She turned away, tears welling up in her eyes.

A wing brushed against her face, wiping away a tear that had just started to roll down her cheek. She jerked away from the unfamiliar touch, and looked up. Her eyes widened. In front of her was the most strange-looking person she had ever seen. Except the woman wasn't a person. She was wearing a dark yellow dress wrapped around her body, with the ends coming up to curl around her arms. She had long waist-length purple hair that was fanning out behind her, as if in a slight breeze. Coming out from her back, however, were six sky blue wings, one of which had brushed against her face. The fairy (for that's what she was), had an aura of peace and hope radiating from her, so much that Atena smiled a bit, in spite of what had just happened.

Someone grabbed her from behind. "You foolish girl, do you realize what you've done? You've undone years and years of the priests' work!"

Atena turned around to face the High Priest, her eyes sparkling. "No. What I've done is save the crown prince and my future husband from an untimely demise," she breathed out. "A fact that most would be grateful for."

His eyes narrowed, the Millennium Eye glinting dangerously in the sun. Atena glared back, her ka-monster adding to the ferocity of the look, and her own Item glowed back.

"Now that'll be enough of that." Atem proclaimed, resting his hand on the priests' arm. "We are all safe, and we now know who this new tomb robber is."

"But, Your Highness…"

"That's enough." There was a finality in Atem's tone that quieted the High Priest's complaint and even startled Atena a bit. She had never heard him use that tone of voice before, not even with the servants. _Perhaps, _she thought. _He is finally learning to become the Pharaoh…_

Atem smiled, and walked over to Atena. He placed his arms around her shoulders and said to the priest, "Please excuse us; my betrothed and I have many important things to discuss." As the steered themselves away from the priest, who was fuming, Atena's ka-monster followed. Atem glanced back towards it.

"Father won't be very happy with your ka following you around all the time. He'll want to seal it." Atena frowned and glanced back also. "You're right. The thing is, I don't know anything about this summoning, or how to take her back." She looked anxiously up into his deep purple eyes, several inches above her own. "Will Father be angry? This was a total accident." Atem squeezed her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry; I'm sure he'll understand."

_Bakura_

I could hear the panting of the guards as they chased after me. I heard one of them yell to others to go around the group of huts and cut me off form the front. They thought they could catch me like a common thief.

What a foolish mistake. The city was my element, where I thrived, and they would never catch me unless I let them. Which I just might--they need to know just who they were dealing with here.

Glancing up ahead, I could see a narrow alleyway. Glancing behind me, I could see the guards start to gain as I slowed my run a fraction.

I stretched out my hand and grabbed a stone sticking slightly out of place in the wall, swinging myself around into the alleyway and continuing to run, letting my white robe streak out behind me.

Halfway down the alley, there came a sharp tug from behind, and my feet flew out from under me. "I've got him!" Came the triumphant cry as the guard lifted me up by the scruff of the neck, pulling out some of the hairs on the back of my neck in the process. The captain came running up, panting heavily, but grinning broadly.

"You thought you could escape us, didn't you thief?" He smirked as the guard's grip on my neck shifted to my collar. I let my arms drop to my sides, hanging my head in mock defeat.

"You are right, Captain." I sighed, looking up and trying to draw attention away from my hands and arms. "I don't know what came over me. I couldn't possibly have hoped to try and outrun the Pharaoh's own guard." I had my arms out of my sleeves now, silently pulling my knife out of its sheath. The captain smirked even wider and walked closer to me. "That's right. Now you'll learn your lesson the painful way." He lifted his hand up to smack across my face.

While he was distracted, I slipped underneath the soilder's arm and around behind him. By the time the captain brought his hand down, he hit the face of the dying guard as I finished slitting his throat.

Giving him no time to think, I dodged around the now dead man, bringing my knife quickly and silently across the captain's own thick neck, and down between his ribs into his heart. I pulled the dagger outwith a slightly sickening _schuck _sound, and he fell on top of his solider; both of them with blood pumping thickly out of their necks, staining my robe the guard held a deep red.

I felt for the life beat on each wrist—to make sure they were dead—then kicked and rolled them across into the widening shadows of the alley, picked up my robe, shook off the stray drops of blood, and shrugged it on over my shoulders. I looked back at the dead men the splattered blood on the wall behind them, the pool of blood at my feet, and a far-off memory flashed in my mind.

_Kul Elna... Mother... Sister... My village... _I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of those horrible images.

Shouts started coming closer from the street, so I ran the opposite direction.

I ran hard, trying to get the horrifying image out of my thoughts. I ran until I reached my horse, and then rode him as fast as I could push him to the oasis in the desert.

I couldn't stop thinking about the dead men's faces.

_Aieko_

The glow from the Tauk dimmed and Atena and I sat on my bed in shock, not believing the vision it had just shown us.

'So that was how it happened.' She whispered, a haunted look on her shadow formed face. 'I had never wanted to believe that rumor before, and now I can not deny it…' She stared at the floor unblinkingly.

I unhooked the Tauk from around my neck and stared at it closely. Again, I could see nothing astonishing that would give even a hint about the awesome powers one could call forth from it.

'So we've seen three thousand years into the past. Did you ever have any visions while you possessed the Item?'

'Yes. Many times the Pharaoh would call on me for advice. It was often about what would happen in the near future. Only once did I have a vision that took place in the very far future.'

'How far?'

She grinned slightly as she looked over at me. 'Actually, it was about you, now that I think back to it.' I blinked. 'Me? But what happened?'

Atena grinned again as she placed her hand on top of the Tauk and my hand. 'I will show you.' The Item flashed again as a blinding white light surrounded us. I felt the by-now familiar rushing sensation as we fell into the vision.

_Standing outside Yugi's grandpa's shop, there were two duelists. I recognized them instantly as Bakura and myself, with Yugi and the others looking on._

_At first, the duel appeared to be friendly, as just a match between friends. As we got closer though, I could sense the tension in the air as I faced off against the darker side of Bakura._

_The both of us were wearing activated duel disks; two large holographic cards were projected in front of me, while the Swords of Revealing Light surrounded Bakura and his monster. He spoke up._

"_And with that I'll end my turn." The swords faded out of sight, and Bakura smirked. "Draw your last card." He challenged._

_The me in the vision drew without looking. Silently, I sacrificed the two face-down cards on the field. In a blaze of white light, I shouted: "And now I summon, 'Wingweaver'!" Bakura gasped, no doubt remembering the first time he had seen this monster._

"_Attack!"_

_The fairy flapped all six of her wings, and a powerful bolt of blue struck through Bakura's monster, destroying it, and as it hit Bakura, the rushing sensation came again._

The golden light dimmed again, and this time Atena and I sat together in thoughtfulness. I turned to look at the Egyptian princess.

'Do your visions always come true?'

* * *

ok sorry. Too tired to write anymore…. 

Next time: defiantly new character. And the Pharaoh talks to the Item holders… yeah..

It's 1 in the morning…. Oh boy…. Time for sleep….

yawn


	8. Solumn Warnings and Deadly Fruit

Ok. Here's our new character. He shows up this time, I promise.

Oh. And I have decided that the main characters (Yugi, Yami/Atem, Aieko, Atena) are all 16, almost 17. Why? CUZ I MAKE IT SO! AND I AM THE AUTHOR! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

deep breath

Let's start, shall we? I'll tell you more about other characters later. When I feel like it. Not now…yeah…

…

Ok, let's just start.

* * *

Chapter 8

Solemn Warnings and Deadly Fruit

_Yugi_

'So, let's get this straight.' I said. 'She claims you two are married, and yet, you don't remember anything about her?'

Yami shook his head, looking thoughtful. 'No. I remember one thing.'

'You do?'

'Yeah. She likes pomegranates.'

I let my head drop onto my desk. 'Are you serious?'

'As serious as a knife pressed against your throat.'

I sighed. 'So, not at all.'

"YUGI MUTOU!"

I jerked my head off my desk and threw a withering glare at Aieko, who sat next to me. "What?" I whispered. She cleared her throat and pointed to the front of the classroom. Ms Korowai was standing there, with her hands on her wide hips, her foot tapping impatiently. I held back a silly little grin. "Yes sensei?"

"Now that you are kind enough to pay attention Mr. Mutou, will you please come up to the board and demonstrate for the class how to derive the quadratic formula?" I shuffled my feet as I walked to the front and took the offered chalk.

'Good luck.' Said Yami, looking at the equation on the board.

'Oh gee, thanks.' I said as I put the chalk to the board and set to work.

(new character, squeals I told you I would get to him.)

_Mahado_

_Clack. Clack._

The wooden sticks rapped loudly against each other as the two tan bodies flew around the practice yard. Eyes darted about for a chink in the other's defense. Over in the corner of the sandy yard gold glinted in the sun. One was the Pharaoh's Puzzle, the other was Mahado's Millennium Ring.

_Clack. Clack._

Out of the corner of his eye, Mahado could see and also feel one of the Ring's points glow and point towards the door as the presence of another Item came within close range. He turned his head to look at the intruder and…

WHAM!

Atem's stick smacked him deftly in the head, and he fell to the ground. A light laughter came over from the door. "I'm sorry, did I distract you, Mahado?"

The priest-in-training rubbed gingerly his head at the spot Atem had hit it. He grinned up at Atena. "No more that you usually do, your highness." Glancing back over at Atem, he said, "Anyways, it's a nice reprieve from your betrothed's attacks." Atem laughed also and held out his hand to help Mahado up. He stood up, and the two friends briefly clasped hands.

"Well done, Mahado. That was a tough battle! You've gotten stronger since you've started training to become a priest!" They walked over to where their Items lay, and slipped the ropes over their heads.

"Good. That's good…" Mahado trailed off, looking distracted at Atena as her Tauk flashed and she went still.

"Atena!" Atem cried out. Mahado shook his head. "Another vision. She needs to learn to control these unexpected bursts of _heka_." He glanced over at Atem, who was glaring daggers at him, and hastily added, "But they are not occurring as quite as often, are they, my Prince?"

Atem nodded as Atena took a deep shuddering breath and opened her eyes. "What did you see?" he asked.

"A dark presence is returning to the Palace. I do not know who, but I could sense murderous intent in his heart."

They continued walking on, this foreboding pronouncement casting silence over the small group. Mahado fingered one of the Ring's five points. _Could this evil Atena described be the same person that attacked the Prince and killed two guards a week ago?_

They reached the Palace after several minutes. "I should be leaving you and the Lady Atena alone now, my Prince, so you will be able to get on with you plans." The two looked at each other and grinned simultaniously. Mahado gave a small inward shudder as he realized how much that grin made the two of them look like their father.

"Actually, Mahado, we wanted to invite you to come and have the midday meal with us and Father." Mahado blinked. _The Pharaoh himself?_ Atem continued. "He said he wanted to address the Item holders with important business. It is imperative that you come." Mahado nodded.

"I will be there."

_Atem_

Atem popped another grape into his mouth as he looked around the room. He was sitting on the right side of his Father, Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen. On his right Atena sat, quietly eating a pomegranate. Next to her sat Mahado, stuffing down his third duck leg. On Mahado's right sat the quiet Shada, the Key resting in his lap and carefully chewing a fish off the bones. Across the small circle form Atem sat Seto, who was clutching at his Rod, his gaze alternating between Atem and the Pharaoh, though sometimes it would rest on Atena. Next to Seto sat Kalim, with the Scales resting at his feet. And on the left side of the Pharaoh sat the High Priest Akhenaden, His Millennium Eye glinted dully as he sipped at his wine.

The great Pharaoh gave a little cough in his throat and sat up straighter. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and gave him their full attention.

"I thank you all for coming to see me at such short notice." His deep voice rumbled around the room. "As most of you know, I have been ruling as Pharaoh for about forty years now." He smiled a grim little smile. "But now, I rapidly am approaching the Western Horizon, and I will soon leave this mortal world to become Osiris, and my son, Atem, will ascend to the throne." He stood and put a heavy hand on Atem's shoulder. "As such, I have called you all here to remind you of the reason the Items were created. You seven were chosen, and I do trust you to not misuse them. But the Items were made to create peace in this war-torn country. I wish it to last for a millennium—hence the name. They were made to stamp out all evil, to purge all sinners, and have been imbued with the power of justice and righteousness, to bring peace to the people."

He brought his gaze around the small circle, resting his eyes on each before moving to the next. And last, he looked at his son. Atem looked back, seeing many years of pain, suffering, and hope within his father's steel-gray eyes. They smiled at each other, father and son. The Pharaoh looked at the Item holders again.

"The stone slabs at Wedju have been created for the use of sealing away _ka_-monsters. They are to be used at every opportunity. Your souls have been trained to hold and weld the Items. You will be able to freely call forth your own _ka_, as well as those sealed in the Wedju slabs. But, use this power wisely, and beware of the darkness of the shadows. For without caution, they will freely enter a person's heart and cause him to do terrible things…" His eyes dropped to the floor, and the occupants of the room looked at each other nervously.

The Pharaoh lifted his eyes and smiled warmly. "And on that cheerful note, let's end this conversation and start dessert!" He clapped his hands, and servants came rushing in with trays full of chilled fruit and little cakes.

The atmosphere eased, and the soon-to-be-priests started chatting with each other and eating some more.

Atem picked up an orange and started to peel it, still feeling a slight uneasiness at his father's last warning.

On impulse, he looked up. There! In the corner of the room, he thought he saw a flash of red as someone jumped down from the wall. He blinked, and stuffed an orange slice into his mouth. He blinked again and rubbed his eyes. _Might have been a trick of the sun._ He thought. But then again… Atena had warned that a great evil was returning. He swallowed and put another orange slice in his mouth. It might have been…

"Atem!"

The slice got stuck in his throat, and he choked. He coughed and grabbed for his goblet, downing the drink in one gulp, trying to get the slice unstuck. He coughed again, sputtered, and finally swallowed. He gasped, filling his lungs with great gulps of air, and looked up at Atena. "Yes?" he wheezed out.

She had her hand on his back, and looked ready to give him a good thwacking if he started choking again, but her eyes sparkled in amusement. "You need to start concentrating on your surroundings more. I was asking if you were done eating. Father wants to talk to us about our wedding." Atem nodded, holding out his goblet, which a servant instantly refilled, and stuffed another orange slice into his mouth. "Yes, let's go outside for a bit."

The High Priest Akhenaden took a bite out of a little cake with a strawberry on top, and watched the young couple all the way out the door, their father following them out into the Royal Gardens.

* * *

Eww. Who would want a creepy old dude with a golden eye watch you as you walked out of a room? shudder 

Anyways…. it's 1 in the morning again…. This seems to be my creativity hour…. Maybe I should be an author…. I could determine my own sleeping schedule….

Review now please, or I will have Atem come at you with his deadly shadow fruit.

Fear the author's insaneness…. muahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha… (Imagine a scary, evil maniacal laugh, kind of like Yami Marik's….)

Oh, and the Pharaoh quoted from the manga, (Millennium World, vol. 1), and…um…

I like fruit… especially grapes…purple ones… mmmm…yummy… '

Just wondering…how many people know how to derive the quadratic formula? It's really not that hard… and I have it in my math notes…somewhere...too tired/lazy to look...

Haha…Mahado stuffing his face…makes me laugh when I think about it…oh, and on a side note: don't be scared when I talk about characters drinking wine/beer, cuz back then, the water wasn't very clean… (Gross I know) so they made their own drinks. But here, no one will get drunk. So yeah…accept the fact of life, and review please.

Next time: Yami Bakura complains and Aieko starts to introduce Atena to modern life. (think noodles… )

Thank you.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

I love snow...


	9. Music and Raman

Sweet! Chapter 9! (Don't know why I'm celebrating yet…. --')

Ah well. Stuff happens. Like school….and tests...nooo…torture…. T-T I cry.

Bleargh….

* * *

Chapter 9

Music and Raman

_Ryou Bakura_

I hate the rain.

Actually, no. I love the rain. It refreshes the land and makes the grass green. It's really my Yami that hates it. He just gets really grumpy, while I'm the one getting soaked to the bone in the torrential downpour we were having today.

Yugi, Aieko, Anzu and I were all trying to huddle under Anzu's umbrella at the bus stop, waiting for the warm, dry bus to arrive.

And arrive it did. Fifteen minutes late. And, was unfortunately not as dry as we had hoped. But it was at least somewhat warm.

The bus took off, and within minutes, we were at Yugi and Anzu's stop. Cheerily, they took off, heading into the rain, staying close together under the protection of the umbrella.

Several more stops flew by, including Aieko's original stop. I looked at her oddly. She was staring off into the gray downpour that was flying by. "I'm finally moving into my own apartment today. It took my parents long enough, and I think my aunt and uncle were glad to be rid of me…" she grinned tightly at me. "It's in the building next to yours."

I smiled back. "Well, it's good that we'll get to see more of each other." The bus stopped again, and Aieko and I ran out.

When we got to the buildings, we halted for a quick breath underneath an overhang. "Well…I'll see…you tomorrow…" I panted.

"Yeah… See ya…" Aieko walked inside, and I ran over to my building, stopping just inside to wring out my hair.

I finally reached my apartment, dripping everywhere, and leaving a wide trail of water down the hallway. I opened the door, depositing my wet bag and shoes just inside the door.

'Took you long enough.' A voice growled in my ear, making me jump. Yami was standing against the wall, his arms folded and staring at the ground. 'I hate the rain. We hardly ever had it in Egypt, and that was nice.'

Shrugging off my drenched school jacket, I tried my best to glare at him. 'Well, you didn't have to choose me. You could be somewhere warm right now--like maybe Egypt--if you weren't stuck in me.'

He laughed. 'You speak truth, my host, but I have told you before. I have been in countless other people, including other Egyptians, and it is most comfortable in you.'

I pulled off my shirt and the Ring, stepping into the bathroom and turning the shower on. A nice, warm shower sounded extremely pleasant right now.

Yami grumbled. 'But I still hate the rain.'

_Aieko_

I kicked another box aside as Atena laughed hysterically.

"You'd think someone would have enough sense to label the boxes!" I yelled as I ripped off the tape, trying to find some dry clothes. More books. "Arugh!" Atena laughed harder. I glared at her, and saw she was pointing at another box. 'Try that one.' She giggled.

I ripped off the tape and sighed with relief. "Ah! Finally! Thanks." I said, pulling out a pair of jeans and a black shirt and putting them on. I sighed and stretched. "That's a lot better. Way more comfortable than the school uniform."

I looked around the front room. Dozens of boxes, all different sizes, were scattered everywhere. 'Well, time to get organized. Wanna help?' I asked, turning to Atena. She giggled again. 'I can't do anything in shadow form, remember?' I sighed again. 'Why don't you just tell me what each box has in it, and I'll put them away.'

She nodded, and looked in the nearest box. 'This one has books.'

'Right.' I picked it up and took it over to the small room next to mine. Tall shelves lined the walls with lamps in the corners and squishy looking chairs and beanbags everywhere. _Well, at least the furniture's all set up…_

There were nine more medium-sized boxes that were chock full of books. 'You like to read Aieko?' Atena asked me curiously as I picked up another box, this one to go in my room. 'What, couldn't you tell?'

'I never learned myself.'

I dropped the box, barely missing my feet. 'What?'

Atena lowered her eyes. This was obviously awkward for her, but I wanted to know. 'Back in Egypt, the ability to read and write was something thought to be only for the higher classes and even then, only males could learn. I begged the priests to teach me, but it was deemed unnecessary since it was my main duty was really only to continue on the royal line.'

'I'll teach you.'

'What?'

'During the summer break, I'll teach you to read.' I picked up the box. 'Well, I'll try. It might be either Japanese or English, 'cause I don't know hieroglyphs or heretic... yet.' I walked to my room and put the box on my bed. I sat next to it, and Aieko sat on the other side, as I started unpacking. 'You would really do that?'

'Course. Why not?' I put the picture frame with my parents and brother in it on my side table and plugged my alarm clock in, looking at my watch to set the time.

'What's this?' Atena was pointing in the box. 'What's what?' I looked in and cried out in surprise. 'Mum didn't forget my flute or piccolo!' Atena looked confused. 'A…piccolo? What's that?'

I took the box off my bed and opened the case. 'It's an instrument. I haven't played since I've moved… Wow. That means I probably stink right now…' I put it together and Atena ran her see-through fingers over the cool metal. 'You play this?'

'Yeah. Listen.' I brought it to my lips and played a scale. Atena stared in amazement. 'That sounds beautiful…' I pulled a face. 'Not when it's out of tune.' I adjusted the head a little bit and played the same scale. 'That's better.' I brought it to my lips again, and played. Atena watched breathlessly as my fingers flew over the keys, playing notes high, low, even trilling here and there. I slowed down, and held the last note. I cut off the air, and it rang through the room for a bit before it faded.

'Cool. Never played like that before.' I pulled it apart and started to clean it out. I glanced up at Atena. "What do ya think? Like the sound, or do you prefer the music back in Egypt?' She shook her head. 'No, no. That was beautiful. Will you play again sometime soon?' I smiled as I closed the case. 'As often as I can.'

I stood up and stretched. 'How 'bout we go and organize my books?'

My stomach grumbled. I grinned sheepishly. 'How 'bout I introduce you to Raman instead?' Atena blinked and cocked her head. 'Raman?'

----

I poured the cooked noodles into two separate bowls and managed to find and wash a couple of pair of chopsticks. Setting a bowl in front of Atena and myself, I started to eat. Slurping up a mouthful of noodles, I looked at Atena. She was staring at her bowl. 'What are these?' I grinned and set down my chopsticks. The Tauk flashed, giving Atena the use of my body. 'Try 'em!'

She awkwardly picked up her chopsticks and she struggled to put some noodles in her mouth. When she finally did, her eyes widened as she swallowed. 'That actually tastes good!' She exclaimed. 'Well, yeah…' I stared as she started to stuff her face. 'I guess it is…'

I grinned to myself. _I think I'll be needing more Raman pretty soon…_

'I heard that.' Atena mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.

I just laughed.

* * *

Ya know… Raman actually sounds pretty good right now… ' maybe it's just me… 

Was that too short? Tell me if it is, cuz that's one of my pet peeves, when people don't write very much…

Yeah…

And it is true that the literacy rate in Ancient Egypt was not very high…really sucks, doesn't it?

Next time: Bakura invites everyone over, and Aieko reminisces about how she got in her current situation.

Review now please! (bows to those who do) Arigato! (thank you in Japanese.) (I think that's how you spell it….)


	10. Two Pigs, Many Books, & a Bit of History

UWAH!!!!!!!! CHAPTER 10!!!!!!! BRING OUT THE FIREWORKS!!!!!!!

Woot.

* * *

Chapter 10

Two Pigs, Many Books, and a Bit of History

_Yugi_

"Ah, no!! I lost again!"

Everyone laughed as Jonouchi started banging his head on the table.

"Aw, come on Jonouchi; it's all right. We'll play another game!"

Aieko gasped and started rummaging through her bag. "That's right! I brought a game that I used to play before I moved here." She pulled out a long silver container and held it above her head. "Ta da! Pass the Pigs!"

We all stared at her, dumbfounded. "Pass…the…Pigs?"

She laughed and opened the container, tipping it so that two little pink things fell into her hand. "We use these little plastic pigs." She said, holding one up. On one side of it was a painted black dot.

Honda plucked the pig from her hand. "Great. So, how do we play?" Aieko plucked the pig back. "Basically, it's a game of risk and luck." Jonouchi laughed and leaned back in his chair. "So I'm out already."

Aieko shook her head. "No, no. You'll be fine Jono. According to everyone else, you have excellent luck sometimes." Jonouchi groaned and sent a withering glare around the table. Everyone laughed again.

"These pigs are our dice. You roll them, and according to how they land, you score points. Based on how you roll, and how many points you have, you can choose to push your luck, and try to score more on that turn. If not, you can just keep the points you rolled that turn and add them to your total score. But beware. If you roll a 'Pig Out', when one pig lies on its side with the dot up and the other dot down, then you lose all the points you rolled for that turn. And if you roll, and you pigs end up touching, you go back down to zero. First to one hundred points wins!"

She looked around at all of us. "So, wanna play?" A chorus of 'yes' rang around the room. Aieko grinned and pulled a pad of paper and a pen towards her. "I'll keep score," she announced, passing the pigs to me. "Yugi, why don't you start?"

"Sure." I said, tossing the little pigs. They both landed on their backs.

"Let's see…" Aieko muttered, looking at a little green scorecard. "A double Razorback…that's twenty points. Do you want to keep the twenty or keep rolling?" I picked them up and threw them again. One landed on its nose and the other on its side.

"Snouter. Ten points. Thirty total." I threw them again. Both landed on their feet. "Ooo! A Double Trotter. Twenty points, makes that fifty total. I'd stop if I were you, you're halfway there." I nodded, passing the pigs onto Anzu.

After a few turns that progressed like that, Honda ended up winning. "All right!" He yelled, pumping his fist in the air as Aieko read aloud the final scores. "Honda with 103; Yugi with 98; then Bakura with 88; me with 85; and Anzu and Jonouchi each with 60."

"Aw man!" Jonouchi yelled, banging his head on the table again. Everyone giggled. "Well, you got more than halfway Jonouchi." Aieko chuckled as she put the pigs back away in their case. "That, at least, is something."

Jonouchi sighed. "I guess you're right."

Yami, in his shadow form, looked at me. 'You let him win.' It wasn't a question.

I glanced back up at him. 'Yeah. I'm sure everybody's sick of me winning. And besides, it's nice to let someone else feel the glory of winning. Isn't it?' Yami didn't answer.

Still chuckling, Anzu looked at her watch. "Oh wow, look at the time!" She exclaimed. "It's almost five! I've gotta go to work now; see you all later!" Honda stood up with her. "Yeah, I gotta go too—I need to watch my nephew tonight." Bakura walked with them to the door, while Honda and Anzu were chatting about his nephew, who was apparently getting more and more perverted as time went on.

When Bakura came back, Jonouchi was studying Aieko's game and I was reading every last detail of the rules (Eh…What can I say?)

"Where did you get this game, Aieko?" Bakura asked, looking over my shoulder at the rules.

"My brother gave it to me last year for my birthday…" she trailed off, her eyes looked troubled. "Before my parents made me leave…"

The room was suddenly thick with silence as we all stared at Aieko. She was staring off into space, as though remembering something that she would rather not.

She looked towards each of us in turn, her eyes still slightly unfocused. "Would you all like to come see my family?" She asked. "You're all welcome to come to my apartment to look at some pictures."

I put the rules back in the case with the small pigs. "I know I'm going." Bakura and Jonouchi quickly added their consent, and we followed Aieko into the drizzle that was left of the past three days of rain.

_Aieko_

Bakura stopped just inside the doorway, gaping into the first room. "Where did you get all of these books?" He whispered.

"From bookstores, of course." I answered matter-of-factly. I walked in and pulled two of the thickest ones from the bottom shelve. I brought them over to where Jonouchi was lounging on a beanbag, and Yugi and Bakura were resting in armchairs. I grabbed a beanbag and dragged it next to them, dropping the photo albums in front of me with a soft _thump _on the soft carpet.

I opened it up to the first page. "These are my parents." I said, pointing them out.

Their eyes boggled and they all looked up at me and said in unison, "You look exactly like your mom."

"I know." I sighed, glaring slightly at Atena, who was hiding her smile behind her hand. I turned the page, and pointed to a picture of a small boy on a swing being pushed by an obvious, but younger-looking me.

"And this is my brother. He's two years younger than me. This is us at the park." I said quietly, "Before we were separated for the first time."

Yugi looked away from the picture, right into my eyes. "Separated?" He repeated, concern sounding through his voice.

I tore my gaze away from him, not wanting to look into those deep, but innocent, purple eyes. "Yeah," I choked out. "David and I were inseparable, so whenever I got sick, he would come see me, then eventually he'd get sick." I took in a deep breath. My voice was shaking. "Except, his immune system is pretty weak, so he would take longer to heal than I would. And the sickness would affect him worse. After my mum found out she wouldn't be able to have any more kids, they decided to keep us apart, because David's the male heir and all that…"

"That's pretty old-fashioned thinking." Muttered Bakura, looking through the second album. "Didn't they think about adopting?"

I tried to grin, but it came out more as a grimace. "If they did, it was quickly dismissed as an option. Not when there was a living male heir around to inherit. Then me after him."

I continued. "At first, they tried to keep us on opposite ends of the house, but that didn't work. We could find secret passageways, and get together to play. When he got sick again, I was moved to another estate on the opposite side of the city…"

"Wait a minute," Jonouchi interrupted. "Another _estate_? Just how rich are you guys anyways?" I looked down at my hands, feeling my face color a little. I didn't want them to know, but oh well.

"What's the name of the really rich kid our age…?"

"Seto Kaiba." Three voices rang out.

"Ah." I said. "Right. Well, imagine him times two and a half."

Their eyes nearly fell out again, and their jaws nearly touched the floor.

"My dad owns a cell phone company, and my mum is a movie director. But just ignore that part." I insisted. I _hated_ it when people reacted that way. I could see the shadow Bakura somehow manage to trip over his feet even though he was standing still, hovering beside the normal Bakura.

I continued on, trying to distract them. "Nothing else really happened, but we missed each other a lot. But when I got my first car, I could suddenly start enjoying my brother's company again. And then I got sick. Nothing bad, just a minor case of strep throat, but he caught it, and then it suddenly got complicated; first with pneumonia, and with a bunch of other things I can't pronounce, and…" my voice faltered. "And he nearly died. My parents were so upset; they decided to send me back here, to Japan, to finish up my schooling. I have family that lives here, so I could always go to them for help… But I still miss David _so_ much. I talk to him whenever I can, and I write and e-mail frequently, but I miss his company…and his smile…"

I sighed, and rubbed my eyes, not surprised that they were slightly damp. The room was quiet again.

'You never told me that.' Atena said quietly to me.

'I never found a reason to bring it up.' I thought back.

I jumped off the beanbag, wanting suddenly to move around. "How about some hot chocolate, eh? Just the thing for a rainy day like this!" The three boys nodded absentmindedly, still absorbed in the pictures.

I walked out of the room, drying my eyes some more as I did so.

'You really do miss him, don't you?' Atena's voice sounded lightly in my mind.

'I really really really do.' I thought back, getting the mugs down and turning on the facet to make the water run hot. 'If there was one thing I could have over anything else in the world,' I started measuring out the chocolate. 'It would be to be with him again.' I filled up the mugs with the now steaming water, put spoons in the mugs, and placed them on a tray to take to the next room.

'I would like to see him too.' Atena mentioned softly.

Back in my mini library, Yugi and Jonouchi had swapped albums, and Bakura was looking at all the books on my shelves.

"Please be careful and don't spill on the books." I asked as I gave each boy a mug.

"I can't believe how many books you have." Bakura said to me as I gave him his hot chocolate.

"You can borrow some if you want." I replied to his unasked question, sipping my own chocolate. "Just please don't destroy the book. And only one at a time too." I grinned as his disappointed look. He sighed. "Ah well. I won't get _too_ swamped over homework then…." He ran his finger over the various spines until…

"You have _Dracula_." He said, pulling the book almost reverently off the shelf. "This doesn't look like the kind of book you would read." He stated, glancing up at me, and taking another sip.

I ran my fingers along some spines too. "Yeah, I know. It looked interesting, and so…" I shrugged and looked back at the books. "I've read about eighty-five to ninety percent of these books." I looked back at Bakura, his eyes as wide as dinner plates over the rim of his mug. "And what about the other ten to fifteen percent?" He choked out.

"References from other people I haven't gotten around to reading yet."

"Unbelievable." Bakura shook his head and put his empty mug back on the tray. "Well, if you don't mind, I'm going to borrow this first." He held up _Dracula_. "An occult story always does the mind good."

Yugi walked up and put his empty mug on the tray next to Bakura's. "Do you mind if I borrow a book too, Aieko?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Only one at a time though." He scanned the shelves closest to him while I reached up and pulled one out.

"Here." I gave it to Yugi.

He took it from me, whispering the title. "_Death Comes as the End_?" I grinned.

"Yep! It's one of my personal favorites. It's a mystery, so I think you'll like it, and it takes place in Ancient Egypt. So get Yami to read it also." Yugi chuckled. "Thanks Aieko."

Jonouchi came up and handed me the two albums. "Yeah. Thanks for all this." He added. "And don't worry about your brother either." I looked up at him in surprise. "If he's anything like you, he misses you a lot, and he's trying to find a way to get back to you again. If he ever does, I'd like to meet him." Jonouchi winked and gave me a thumbs-up.

"We'll see you later Aieko."

I walked them to the door and out of the building, both Yugi and Bakura holding their books under their raincoats. We said good-bye again, and the three split up, Bakura heading to the next building, and Yugi and Bakura heading off to the bus stop.

Back in my apartment, I took off my shoes and cleaned the dishes while I was waiting for my laptop to fire up. When it did, I opened the e-mail program.

_Dear David_, I started.

_You won't believe how much my friends liked that game you gave me._

---------

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the longest chapter since the first one!! so happy…

I hope Aieko's past didn't sound too….what's the adjective….sob-story-ish.

IT MAKES SENCE TO ME! I'll try to explain….

IF YOU PEOPLE REVIEW AND ASK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RARR!!!!

Be kind, please review. Constructive criticism is welcome (but don't rip it to shreds, please. I work hard on this!)

Thank you. Now move that mouse…that's it….and now click on 'review now'.

Please. Pretty please. With a fruit of your choice (I don't like cherries myself) on top.

Oh, and I actually have read _Dracula_ (by Bram Stoker) and _Death Comes as the End _(by Agatha Christie) and their both _extremely_ good reads. All the titles that I put in here will be ones I have read (or are planning too), and most, I will really like. I'll throw in what people will request, but you _have to tell me_! I can't read you minds!

Blah.

Just review. Please.

It's honestly not that hard….

Sorry. Ending rant.

…..

OH YEAH!!!! Next time…

I honestly have no idea. Probably just a normal day at school.

Or something from the past. Dunno.


	11. Blessings and Promises

Yes. I'm still continuing.

I can't just leave you hanging now can I?

That would be mean.

Oh yeah. And if anyone can help, I would like to know more about how the time runs (though the year, like vacations and stuff) in a Japanese high school. That would be nice, thanks!

AND WE ARE HAVING A GIMUNDOUS SNOWSTORM!!!!! WAHOO!!!!! And we're in a state of disaster emergency!! And it's still snowing!!! And it's 3 feet high at my house and climbing!!!!!

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the snow….

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Chapter 11

Blessings and Promises

_Atena_

The Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen paced in front of his children; both of them watching him somewhat nervously.

"My children," he started, slowing his pacing a bit. "Your marriage has been set for the height of the inundation season, when the river is at its highest." The Pharaoh stopped and knelt in front of them. "That is in but eight days time." He stared at both of them, but at Atena in particular.

"_Nothing _can happen in that time." He said sternly. "We just can't afford for any more uncontrolled _heka_ to break out again. The union of you two is already under suspicion from some of those in the court." He tuned to stare into Atem's eyes. "Our people _must_ be convinced that you will be a good leader. You must continue to strive to show you're willing and able to lead. Your reign will be long and successful if you do."

He turned towards Atena again. "The same goes for you, Atena. Help Atem in any way you can." She smiled and wrapped her father in a hug. "No need to worry Father." She whispered. "I am growing stronger every day, and Atem is too." She pulled back and looked straight into the older man's eyes. "Egypt is in good hands."

At those words, and indescribable weight seemed to fall from Akhenamkhanen's shoulders. He smiled, and the very sun seemed to radiate from him.

He kissed both his children on the forehead. "Then take my blessing into your marriage." He proclaimed. "Live long, and take care of our people."

Atem and Atena both fell on their knees. "By the nine gods of the Ennead, we will Father! We will!"

He smiled again as a servant came running up to him. "Great Pharaoh! You are needed in the palace. The city's captain has come to make his report."

Akhenamkhanen sighed and rolled his eyes at his children. They giggled and he strode off after the servant.

As soon as he was out of sight, Atem grabbed Atena in a tight embrace. "Eight days!" He exclaimed. "That isn't soon enough!" She laughed and he squeezed her again. "Surely there is a way to speed up time." He mused. "Perhaps I should talk to Mahado about it."

Atena laughed again as she started playing with Atem's brightly colored bangs. "Perhaps you should learn the meaning of patience, my dear."

"Perhaps I don't want to." He retorted, leaning down to nuzzle her neck.

"Perhaps you both should stop before you make me sick." Retorted a different voice.

Atem and Atena immediately broke apart and looked around for the voice. "Who's there?" Atem called out. "I order you to show yourself!"

"Tsk, tsk, Prince. Already fancying yourself wearing the Double Crown now?" The voice came back.

Atena's eyes grew wide and the Tauk started to glow. "Atem…" She whispered.

He ignored her, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The voice laughed evilly. "Now, why would I want to go and tell you that? It would spoil my surprise…" It added menacingly.

Atem looked all around, still trying to find the threatening speaker. "What surprise?"

"Ah, now what's the point of telling you, Prince? A surprise is no longer a surprise after it's told."

Atena tugged on the back of Atem's shirt. "Atem…" she whispered. "Not now." He whispered back, eyes still searching everywhere.

Atena backed away out of the clearing. She wandered around until she found the spot where her Tauk said he would be taunting from. _Yes_. She thought. He was there. The Tauk around her neck glowed again, along with the stone summoning disk around her arm.

"_Ka _sprit that dwells within me…"

Whispering the rest of the words she had been taught, the disk extended and one of the spaces became occupied with a miniature carving. A being with six wings.

The Wingweaver silently took form behind her, and Atena started up the tree. _Just like last time_. She thought. _Only this time, you've gone too far._ _Defiling Grandfather's tomb, insulting Father and Atem, killing the guard, and almost killing Atem._ She paused, watching the red-robed figure and hearing the insults he launched down at Atem.

_I'm sorry Bakura. I'm no longer yours now._

She motioned for her _ka_ to come up underneath the tree, and out of Bakura's sight. With one last prayer to the gods, Atena leapt toward Bakura.

The two collided with a loud _thud_, and the two fell out of the tree in a shower of leaves, twigs, and body parts.

Bakura landed nimbly on his feet; his eyes glinting strangely in the noonday light as he glared at Atena. The Wingweaver caught Atena, brushed all of the twigs out of her wig, and gently placed her down next to Atem.

"Father is not going to like this…" murmured Atem, glancing up at the Wingweaver.

"You don't want to know what would've happened if I had done nothing." Atena murmured back. "You wouldn't have lived to see dinner."

"Which is all well," Bakura interrupted, "Because I've come to get you back Atena. You made a promise, and I'm here to collect. Surely you saw that with your precious _Item_."

Atem stepped in front of Atena, glaring all the while at Bakura. "Surely you can tell, Bakura, that she doesn't want to come with you."

"Ah, but you know as well as I do, Prince, that every king needs a queen by his side." He turned his gaze upon Atena, watching him from behind Atem. "And who better than one of royal blood?"

"You're not a king Bakura."

Bakura laughed manically. "Oh, but I am! Don't you see Prince? I am the Thief King! Your opposite number! While your body lies dead, and your sprit roams, I will be the one who makes sure that you will not live on! No one will remember you; but if they do, it will be with the hatred that I hold for you now!" He laughed again.

Atena's mind was clouded. She couldn't see. All that she knew was anger; rage towards Bakura. Talking about her as though she were a thing; planning to destroy Atem and their happiness… And his boldness about it! Her blood boiled at the thought.

The Tauk flashed around her neck, feeding the anger into her _ka_, which began to change. A swirling purple and black light enveloped the creature, giving it strength and changing its appearance. The six sky-blue wings shimmered and became black, specked with red. Her hair became death-black also. The dress wrapped around her became a dark maroon color, and her eyes turned a deep blood red, the same color as Bakura's robe. This Wingweaver was no longer a creature of light. Fed by Atena's raging emotions, it had become dark.

As her creature transformed, the Millennium symbol appeared on Atena's forehead. She stepped around Atem to face Bakura.

"Enough Bakura!" she yelled. Bakura stopped laughing and stared at her in shock. Atem backed up a few steps himself, before he managed to stop. He knew how fierce Atena's rage could get.

"You are never to concern yourself with me and my betrothed ever again!" As she said this, a tear slipped, unbidden, down her cheek. "Bakura, you are to never come here again." She chocked back a sob, holding on to her rage, thinking about Atem, her father, her friends... "For as long as I live and beyond, I will protect the ones I love against your eternal wrath." Another tear fell down her cheek. "For as long as I live, this curse will be upon you." The Tauk glowed fiercely, and Atena closed her eyes to try and stop the tears. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

The Dark Wingweaver glided forward. Bakura looked up at it, anger still in his eyes, but something else was buried deep inside him. So deep, even he wouldn't acknowledge it. He looked over at Atena. She opened her eyes, her Tauk still shining brightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, barely audible. "I didn't mean for it to go this far."

The Dark Wingweaver reached forward and placed its hand on Bakura's head. He spread his arms wide. "You'll see!" He screeched. "You'll see Prince! I WILL RETURN FOR HER!!" At that moment, the Wingweaver folded its jet-black wings around Bakura. There was a blinding flash of white light, and Bakura was gone.

The Tauk dimmed, and the symbol faded, leaving Atena kneeling on the ground, arms wrapped around her self, sobs shaking her slim frame.

Atem rushed up to her and folded her into his embrace. "You did what was right." He whispered softly. She looked up at him, tears streaking down her tan face. "How do you know?" she asked. "He was my friend. I saved him from death...How do you know it was right?"

He wiped her tears away and kissed her forehead lightly. "Because I can feel it. You protected your own family against all other feelings of friendship you had with him." Atem smiled warmly and gave her a small squeeze. "That is how I know it was right."

"Thank you." Atena whispered. Then she buried her head in his shoulder and cried her heart out. Atem let her, rocking back and forth and rubbing her hair. (a/n: don't you wish all guys were like that?)(hint hint)

With Atena's anger gone, the Wingweaver faded back into its normal self. She glided over to her mistress and stood over her, like a guardian angel, spreading her feelings of peace and hope over the distressed young girl.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, Atena finally calmed down. Atem looked at her face and smiled. "She's asleep." He said to the Wingweaver. "Thank you." She nodded and faded away. Atena's summoning disk glowed as the panel became blank and it returned to its original compressed form.

Picking her up gently, Atem carried his young bride-to-be up to her room and laid her down to sleep.

--------

Akhenaden watched the Prince carry the Princess from the Gardens into the palace. With his Eye, he had been able to 'see' the entire episode, and read the Prince's thoughts as well.

_As I suspected_. He thought. _The thief was useless after all_. _I shall have to find a different way for my son…_

With a resounding "Humph!" he turned away from the window and started on the dinner a servant had brought up for him, savagely ripping the meat from the bones.

_This is not the end, my Pharaoh. I can promise you that._

* * *

UBAH!!!!!!!!! Yeah for snow!! I was able to finally get this done!

It's so short... T-T

Next time! We meet a new character! (I hope…)


	12. The Practicing Magician

Wow…12…. cool!

* * *

Chapter 12 

The Practicing Magician

_Atem_

Atem was at the temples at Wedju, studying the monster tablets. _To think that we rely on criminals like Bakura to supply us with monsters._ He shook his head. _It is rather unbelievable_

He reached out and touched one of his own tablets. All the monsters in this temple were for his use, but it would be very unlikely that he would ever use them. He would be the Pharaoh after all; the other Millennium holders would summoning and capturing the monsters with out his help. He sighed.

Atem climbed the stairs in the center of the room, staring at the tablets that held the three gods. They had never been summoned before, and no one knew what kind of destructive power they held. Secretly, Atem hoped that he would be the one chosen to control the gods, but no one else knew this, not even Atena. He didn't want to seem power-hungry. That was just asking for disaster.

He reached the top of the stairs; the various tablets flickering in the torchlight, making the monsters appear to move.

He reached out a hand to touch another tablet, when a step sounded behind him. He spun around, startling the young girl who had been following him. She gave a little cry, and he laughed.

"Mana! You gave me quite a scare!"

A light blush rose to Mana's cheeks before she laughed also. "Please forgive me Prince. It was unintentional." Atem frowned slightly.

"You're speaking formal, Mana. What's wrong?"

The young girl glanced down at her feet, nudging the edge of the platform with the tip of her shoe. She started chewing on her bottom lip. When she spoke, her voice quivered a bit. "W-well… what's gonna happen after you and Atena get married?" Atem blinked. This was not what he expected.

"Master says that I shouldn't bother you now, now that you're focused on your marriage and eventually taking the throne, I should just leave you and Atena alone… but…" She took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "But I don't want to be left alone!" Mana cried. "After that, it's only a matter of time until you become Pharaoh, and I won't be able to see you anymore!" She sniffed. "Both you and Atena are my best friends. When you're both rulers…" Her voice trailed off, and she turned her head away from Atem.

Atem walked closer, then noticed the tear tracks on Mana's cheeks. Hesitantly, he reached out a hand and placed it on her shaking shoulder.

"Mana…" he started quietly. "I'm sorry. But even I can't change what fate has chosen for us. It is my duty to rule this land, and yours is to become a great sorcerer."

She sniffed loudly. "I just… I just wish that we could go back to the way things were when you were younger… when we could play together all the time and not have to worry about anything… and we could hide in the clay pots again…" Atem smiled at the memory.

"Yes… when things were simpler… but I'm afraid that no longer applies to today. Study your magic Mana. It will help in the years to come."

The ten-year-old stuck her tongue out at him. "Study? No thank you!" With a wink to Atem, she turned on her heel and ran down the steps. As she reached the doorway, she turned and waved, then ran promptly into Mahado, who was walking in. She bounced off the priest-to-be with a loud "Oof!" He reached out and grabbed her arm before she could hit the ground, pulling her into close to him.

Atem smiled at them as he walked down the stairs. "Is there something I need to know about Mahado?"

Mahado and Mana blushed deeply and he let go of her so quickly she almost fell down again. "N-N-No, Prince." Mahado stuttered. "It was pure reflex…" He turned his gaze on Mana. "I've been looking for you. Master needs to talk to us."

Her eyes grew wide. "Let's go then!"

They both bowed their heads to Atem, then ran out of the temple. His face softened into another smile as he watched them leave. _He's been like a big brother to her… ever since we found her that day… but now I think he's acting a little bit more than big brotherly…_ He threw back his head and laughed towards the midday sun.

_Atena would have_ loved _to see that._

_Atena_

White light faded from her mind once more. She threw her fist against the wall in her anger, then retracted it to place a throbbing, bleeding knuckle in her mouth.

_Oh, by the gods… why doesn't it work?!?_

She had been trying for the past couple of weeks to see into Atem's future, and into her own as well, but the only thing that ever came to her mind was a great expanse of whiteness, and a slight feeling of foreboding for Atem's, and a great feeling of fear and pain from her own.

She took her finger out of her mouth and examined it. The dark tan skin had been ripped in several places, and bright red dots of blood oozed slowly out. She walked over to the table in her room that held her washing bowl. She dipped her clean fingers in the water, then started to slowly wash the blood off, her mind running endlessly.

_I can hardly remember anything I was told about the Tauk… it was so long ago, and I was young and bored…_ She smirked. _But I was never told that I wouldn't be able to see any future…_ Her fingers stopped scrubbing her wound. _I wonder if…_

Pain momentarily forgotten, Atena put her hands around the Tauk, concentrating.

_What's going to happen to Mahado today?_

Several moments went by before the white light shone in her mind again. Frowning, she pulled her hands away and stared at the wall, pondering. _Let me see…_

Putting her hands back in the proper position, she started concentrating again.

_Seto… Shada… Kalim… Priest Akhenaden… Mahado… Atem… me…_

Seven Item holders… seven blank futures. She didn't know what was going to happen to those who held Millennium Items. Or perhaps she had just lost her touch.

_Father… Bakura… Mana… Oh!_

Atena grabbed the towel that was lying next to the basin, then threw open the door to the hallway. Footsteps were echoing through the hallway, and in a few moments, Mana was standing at her door, tears streaming down her color-drained face.

Atena wrapped an arm around her shoulders, walking across the room and sitting down on her bed. She gave Mana the towel; the young girl took it and buried her face in the soft material, sobs shaking her slim frame. Atena rubbed her shoulders and rocked back and forth, humming a nameless tune.

Once Mana's sobs had subsided, Atena gently lifted her head up. "Come now, Mana. You will need to breathe at some point. Here, give me that towel." She did, and Atena proceeded to wipe away the tears and the smeared make-up. "Why don't you tell me all about it." She asked, unnecessarily, having already seen the girl's future.

Mana took in some shaky breaths. "W-W-W-Well… M-M-Master has-s-s j-j-just passed over t-t-to the W-W-Western H-H-Horizon…" Tears spilled over and splashed down on her linen dress before Atena could catch them with the towel. "A-And M-M-Mahado is-s-s now-w-w m-m-my master a-a-and t-t-t-t-teacher." She grabbed the towel from Atena's hand and started weeping into it again.

Atena sat in shock as her brain absorbed this new information. _Mahado is a master magician before he is a priest?!_

To Mana, she said: "But why are you upset? Mahado is a great magician. He will teach you lots of things, and he will be kind to you… what is wrong?"

Mana sighed, and put the towel down in her lap. "I-I-I guess it's just silly… not a real reason for me to be crying—"

"Mana, don't ever say that." Atena interrupted. "Girls don't ever need a reason to cry. Now tell me."

Mana couldn't help but break into a small smile. "Well… it's just that… everyone's leaving me behind… you and Atem are going to get married and start to rule, and now Mahado's become a master magician and he's almost a priest! And you all have those… Items that set you apart from normal people like me! I don't want to be left behind…" her bottom lip trembled.

Atena grabbed her in a tight hug. "You are _not_ a normal person Mana. You hold just as much magic within you as I do. You just need to work on it more. And secondly, I would never leave you behind, no matter how busy I may be." She pulled Mana out and looked at her from an arm's length, her voice quiet and serious. "You are one of the best friends I've ever had Mana. It would not be possible for me, or Atem, or Mahado, to forget you. You're too kind and good of a person to forget. I'm sorry we've been putting you through all this anxiety and worry lately. But, once this wedding is done, and things settle back into their normal, boring routine, I promise I will spend some time with just you, doing whatever you want, okay?"

The young girl's face brightened like the sun outside at the older girl's promise. She grabbed her in another tight hug, and they held onto each other for a long time, until Mana broke away.

"Thank you so much, Atena. I feel a lot better now." She stood up. "If you will please excuse me, I must go and pay my respects to my new master now." Atena nodded, and Mana scampered off out the door.

Atena sat on her bed a while longer. Eventually, her fingers floated up and alighted on the Tauk. "I'm sorry I didn't know sooner, Mahado."

She closed her eyes and the now-familiar white light engulfed her mind in another vision. Time passed quickly, and soon the sun started to go down.

Atena was still staring blankly at the wall when Atem came in. He sat down next to her, then put his arm around her waist, bringing Atena back to the present. She turned to face him, tears brimming at the corners of her drooping eyes.

"What did you see?" He whispered.

She fell sobbing into his chest; he sat and rubbed her back, rocking back and forth until she fell asleep.

_Mahado_

Mahado bowed his head in respect as the body of his former master was carried out of the room, on its way to the embalmer's, where his body would spend the next seventy days being prepared to enter the Land of the Dead.

Turning away, he walked out of the room onto the balcony that overlooked the Nile and the slowly setting sun, his mind in a whirl.

_I'm in no way prepared enough to be a master magician and to teach Mana. Why did Master do that?_

He heard a soft footstep behind him, and the Ring gave a tiny twitch as it registered the owner's magic. Mahado turned and was shocked to see Mana, resting on one knee, her head bowed and a fist clenched over her chest. "Mana…?"

"I've come to offer my loyalty, Master." She said, her voice quavering but becoming stronger as she spoke. "I shall devote myself and my time to your teachings."

Mahado fell on his knees beside her and pulled her in a tight embrace. Mana was shocked, then she relaxed slightly in his arms.

"Mana…" he started. "Oh, Mana…" He let go—reluctantly—and held her at arm's length. "Don't call me 'Master' just yet. Our Master has not yet truly passed through the gates… and I'm not…" he stopped, and his eyes darted to the floor.

"You're not what?" Mana asked gently.

"I'm… not…" Mahado bit his lower lip, then spoke again. "I'm truly not worthy to be a master. I'm not prepared; I'm not a good teacher—"

Mana held a finger to his lips, then wrapped her thin arms around his chest. "You're one of the best friends I've ever had, Mahado." She smiled as she recalled the words Atena had just spoken to her. "And you're kind and gentle… you will be a good teacher." She grinned up at him. "I just know it. So don't worry!"

Mahado smiled back at her, and pulled her in close. "Thank you, Mana." He said. "You have helped me much already." He gently placed his lips on the top of her head, and the sun fell over the horizon, staining the land red as Ra went again to make his nightly trip through the Underworld.

* * *

Though I'm sorry to say that nothing will really come of the ManaxMahado paring jusssssssssssttttttttttttt yet. In my story, they're about 6-7 years apart. Mana's only 10 for cryin' out loud!!!

deep breath

anywos….

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - I heart Christmas…

Makes you wonder though… what did Atena see that got her so upset? Maybe I'll tell you, maybe I won't… YET!!!!

Next time!

It's finally the wedding!!!!! Though nothing much will happen, cuz the Egyptian didn't have big fancy ceremonies like we do today… but I'll make it cool!!!! And Bakura will go get another book from Aieko, and funny things will happen between Yami Bakura and Atena!!

**Love me and review please!**


	13. The Wedding

Chapter 13

The Wedding

_Atena_

The young Princess wobbled as she tried to stand up from the chair. Several servants caught her arms and righted her, one reaching up behind her to straighten the gold circlet on her head and some of the tinkling golden trinkets hanging from her hair. They had produced a wig for her to wear today, but she was very insistent and stubborn about using her own hair. She hated with wigs, and refused to let anyone shave her head, like the rest of the 'fashionable' ladies at court. Set may also have bright red hair, but he was a god, and wasn't she a goddess on the earth? Only in the face of this logic did the servants relent, and she smiled to herself at this victory.

Gold was hanging absolutely everywhere from her person. Rings, bracelets, anklets, her shoes, her dress and even parts of her skin were brushed over in fine gold leaf. Her make-up all had a golden hue; but the only thing she wore around her neck was the Tauk, and that was the only thing she had put on herself

Atena grumbled quietly to herself. No _wonder_ Father never really looked forward to Festival days. All this gold was beautiful, and it certainly boosted the people's spirits to see their Pharaoh and his family looking like the gods they were, but it was _heavy_.

She cleared her throat and thanked the servants who all scurried off, leaving the Princess to walk down the hall to the Grand Entrance Hall alone. She stopped outside the door, breathing deeply, and glancing to the doormen on either side of her. They kept their eyes trained on the ground, pretending to not even be there until she wanted the doors opened.

Was she ready for this? Here she was, literally steps away from a life-changing experience—one that would change not only hers, but the country's as well. She was surprised to hear a quiet tinkling of bracelet against bracelet. Her hands were shaking. She clasped them together in front of her and closed her eyes. The Tauk glowed briefly. Though she could not see her future, she did get a small feeling of peace and comfort. She let go of her hands and stood up straighter, her eyes open and showing fierce determination—but there was still just a small hint of fear. She nodded to the doormen, who suddenly came alive and opened the doors.

The sun was blinding, and it took her a moment of blinking to adjust. Directly in front of her were two other figures—Atem and Father, each decorated as much as she was. The other Item holders were standing to the sides of the porch, all looking back at her. Down the steps and onto the main road of the city, the entire populace had gathered. It was eerily silent for such a large gathering of people.

Atena stepped forward, and both she and Atem kneeled before Father. He rested a hand heavily laden with gold on each of their heads, and whispered quietly to them:

"Be well my children. Live long, and rule righteously."

He removed his hands and stepped back. The Prince and Princess stood up, locked gazes, and took hands.

The crowd erupted suddenly, cheering for the new couple. Grinning, Atem and Atena walked down the stairs to where a large, two-seated litter was waiting. They each sat in their own and were borne effortlessly up by several dozen servants, and paraded down the streets to much shouting and celebration.

"Long live the royal couple!"

"Long live the Crown Prince and His Queen!"

"Praise to our gods on Earth!"

The shouting was loud, the atmosphere catchy; the two newlyweds couldn't help but smile, even as they looked regal for the people.

They didn't release hands the entire time.

_Bakura_

The self-titled Thief King sat on a roof, watching the parade march by. He was bare-chested, having left his trademark red jacket in the caves he was now living in, and for all the world looked like a normal person celebrating the marriage of the Crown Prince but for two things. He was not shouting happy blessings, and the scowl on his face was angry, and fierce. He bit off a sizable chunk of the loaf of bread he was holding, chewing hard.

Atena's curse was real, and kept him from going near the Palace while she was there, so he hadn't been able to stop this wedding in any way.

The liter passed, and he felt an ache in his chest, but he quickly buried it in rage.

_No matter._ He thought, swallowing the last of his bread. _I can still watch… and plot from a distance._

He stared, like everyone else in the crowd, at the litter slowly wandering down the street, thinking about what might have been.

Bakura shook his head, white tresses messily playing about his face. There was no point in thinking about what obviously will never happen. He threw one last sneer in Atena's direction, then quietly slid off the rooftop and out of the city.

_Slam!_

I growled to myself as I walked away from the ancient memory. _Nothing is more painful than a wound willingly reopened._

I stalked around my Soul Room for a while, brooding at the blank walls. I could sense my host's quiet questioning concern, but I ignored him, and I could feel his spirit shrug and retreat. This has been our exchange for the past few weeks, ever since the Pharaoh and his host had given the girl the Tauk.

_Atena…_

Not hesitating, I punched a wall, jolting myself out of another memory.

"No." I growled out loud. "I will not allow her appearance her to upset my plans to collect all the Items."

Retracting my hand from the wall, I stared at the damage done to my soul. A large dent was pounded into the old bricks, and an echoing bruise appeared on my hip, showing the damage to my spirit as well.

'You really need to stop doing that.'

"I don't want you in here!" I rounded on my host, glad to have someone to shout at.

He flinched slightly, standing in the doorway to my Soul Room, but stood his ground—something he hadn't done very often. He pulled up the edge of his shirt, showing me the same bruise forming on his own hip.

'We share a body, remember? What happens to one happens to another. Stop beating yourself up, for whatever reason, because I don't like getting beat up either!'

He actually looked angry. I was impressed. _I must be rubbing off on him._

"Is that all?" I asked, letting my voice go mocking and smarmy.

He face became something like a frown. 'I wanted to forewarn you: I'm going to visit Aieko today… don't do anything stupid.' He paused. 'Please. You know, she really doesn't _have_ any influence on the past of her other self, or any strength where the shadows are concerned.' He paused again, giving me a curious look. 'You know that, don't you.'

I replaced whatever emotion was on my face with a scowl. "Just shut up and go so we can get this over with."

He gave me that curious look again. 'Very well.' He turned to go, and I felt a blast of cold air hit his body as we ventured out into the winter night.

_Ryou Bakura_

It was snowing, again. I've always liked the snow better than the rain. It feels more peaceful, and muffles the world in a curious way.

I crunched through the slowly piling snow over to Aieko's building, shaking my head as I reached the doorway, dislodging any hidden snowflakes. I walked up to the third floor, pulling _Dracula_ out of an inner coat pocket, and knocked when I approached her door.

Behind the door there was a flurry of papers, and a clink of dishware on table, then the door opened warily, one of Aieko's eyes peaking through.

"Hello." I smiled, and the door flew open.

"Bakura! What a nice surprise, what brings you here?" Aieko asked, automatically speaking Japanese.

"I brought your book back," I answered, in English, and she seemed to relax. "I was hoping to perhaps borrow another one?"

"Of course!" She responded in the same language, grabbing me by the sleeve and pulling me in. "Come in, come in. You'll have to pardon the mess." She added sheepishly gesturing at what appeared to be an entire ream of papers all over the living room floor. "I was trying to do my homework."

I smiled, hanging up my coat and exchanging my boots for slippers. They were thick and warm. "Starting a bit late, aren't you? School starts up again in a couple of days you know."

"Yeah yeah, I know." She took the book back from me and carefully filed it away on her shelf. "I suppose you've already finished all of yours?" She added, with an attempt to copy my dialect. It wasn't very good, but I still had to smile.

"Well… yes." I smiled again, shuffling further into the room and started looking again at the books. I could sense Aieko rolling her eyes as she made her way to the opposite end of the shelf and pulled out a book without looking.

"Here. Try this one." She held out to me a well-worn copy of _The Icarus Hunt_. "It's not occult, but it's my all-time favorite. You might enjoy it." I took the book, our fingers accidentally brushing together.

My world suddenly became confused as the Ring's spirit forcefully switched places with me, taking my spirit and shoving it into my own Soul Room.

"No! What do you think you're doing, you idiot?"

'Shut up!' He roared back. 'I have some questions I need answered!' And without another word he stalked off, taking over my body and leaving me alone.

_Aieko_

Bakura's eyes went dim, and something flashed golden, blinding me for a moment. The book fell forgotten to the floor with a quiet _thuwmp_ on the carpet, then something grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me forward.

"I want to speak to her." Bakura growled, pulling me so close I was nearly lying on his chest.

"Ba-Bakura?"

The dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. Now let me speak to her."

I felt my own eyes widen. "You're the other Bakura! The one the other Yugi called a theif!"

An angry sneer pulled at Bakura's handsome face. "That's right, now let me speak to her. I have some unfinished business to attend to."

My refusal was automatic and almost out of my lips.

'Wait!' Atena was glaring. 'Let me speak to him.'

Mentally, I shrugged. "Okay… just… don't get killed or anything. Please?"

She nodded, and our own Item flashed as we switched. I created a shadow form and sat in the beanbag my body had been occupying earlier. This could get interesting.

Atena regained her balance and shoved Bakura's hand away. "Don't manhandle me." She glared right back at him. "I'm here, now, what do you want?"

He seemed to falter for a second, then quickly regained his control, a smirk plastering itself on his face. "Hello again, Princess."

Atena scowled. I winced. He used the lower title on purpose.

"Have you come here to talk or just insult me, thief?" She folded her arms, somehow looking regal in jeans and a baggy shirt. I sat back in awe. _I wonder if I could pull that off…_

Bakura mockingly bowed his head. "I just have one question Princess. Just how intact are _your_ memories?" He ended with a slight hiss.

She raised an eyebrow. I could feel the mistrust and puzzlement radiate from her mind. "They are all intact, as they were meant to be."

It was Bakura who raised an eyebrow this time. "Oh? I thought you would have been like your _husband_," he said the word with as much acid as he could manage, "And have them all locked away."

Atena frowned, and so did I. "What do you mean?" We both asked, though Bakura could only hear Atena speak.

Bakura's smile widened. "You didn't know? When his soul was sealed in the Puzzle, his memories were sealed away too." His eyes glistened. "He's forgotten completely about you, Princess."

She was good. Her face remained unchanged. But I could feel the shock ripple through her.

Bakura seemed to sense this too. He took a step closer. "How does it feel, to know that he has forgotten, and may not ever remember you?"

She glared at him, but it had no heart in it.

Bakura pressed on, his voice soft and mesmerizing. "But I remember everything. Everything about you. Things that even you may not remember, I know. Things he will never remember…" He reached out, about to touch her cheek.

Atena slapped him. Her face was furious. His, triumphant.

"Very well, Princess. I will see you again." He turned and started walking out.

"Wait."

He turned back, smile slipping slightly when he noticed it was me talking and back in my body, and not Atena. "Hm?"

"I want to talk to Bakura."

"You are."

I itched to slap him myself, even though my palm was already ringing from the first. "The _real_ Bakura."

He grinned, and the golden flash of light came again. Bakura winced and brought his hand up to his cheek.

"Ow…"

I hurried over to him. "I'm sorry about that… do you want some ice?"

He smiled, a red print already forming on his face. "I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'm used to getting my body back with strange injuries." He said the last with a hint of bitterness, obviously remembering something.

"Well, here." I picked up the book and handed it back to him. "Read and take your mind off things."

He smiled. Inwardly, I giggled. His smile was extremely cute. "Thank you. You are kind, Aieko."

I smiled back as he started changing his shoes. "Thank you… Ryou. So are you."

A very slight blush rushed to his cheeks. Or perhaps it was just the slap mark on his face. He bowed, politely, thanked me for the book again and headed out into the dark snowy night.

I turned inward. "That was some slap. I didn't think you had any strength in you."

'Oh stop it. I've gotten my quota of teasing for the night.'

I raised an eyebrow. "He really rankled you then, didn't he."

She sighed, looked away, then looked back at me. 'What if… what if he was right? And Atem doesn't remember me at all?'

I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to be comforting. "I think we should talk to the man himself. It looked like he was just trying to drive a wedge between you two, that's all. I'm sure nothing he said is true."

She smiled, grateful. I did my best to hide my own doubts, but they were still there, which is probably exactly what Bakura's other had meant to do.

'You should probably get back to your homework Aieko.'

I sighed and kicked at a mess of papers. "Yeah yeah… I guess I should."

* * *

Yes, that's right, I'm alive.

I've gotten several reviews and messages from people asking ever so kindly if I was going to continue this story. I had always meant to, but never really had anywhere to go with it, until yesterday. This poor story has sat for _years_ without getting any attention from me. I intend to finish it.

So, this is my new writing project, one that I will hopefully finish before November and NaNoWriMo, when I want to get started on a new story (one that probably won't be fanfiction, sorry)

So! Yes, I will finish. We've still got a ways to go before Aieko and Atena's story is done, but, let's have fun on the way, hm? *smiles*

Next time!

Atem and Atena meet together on the night of their wedding… and again, to talk, 3,000 years later. And, we just might see Mana and Mahado again. I like those two. :)


	14. The Shadows

Chapter 14

The Shadows

_Atem_

The sun had been set for a long while before the feasting died down and the Prince and Princess retreated to their side of the Palace. Atem sat on a long bench at the foot of the bed while Atena sat on the bed itself. They were laughing, and carefully removing all the decorations from their hair and bodies.

"That actually went a lot smoother than I expected." Atem admitted, lying down on the bed behind her. "I was expecting… someone to attempt to interrupt things."

Atena's giggle quieted, and she looked solemn for a change. "No. I cursed him, remember?" She sounded sad. "He must've known that after Father spoke to us, nothing he could do would break our marriage, so he left it alone."

Atem sighed, and shrugged. "Perhaps…" he rubbed her back slowly, enjoying the feel of her skin under the thin fabric. Suddenly, he grabbed her from behind and pulled her onto the bed with him, so that she laid against him. "But let's not think about such things, hm? It's our wedding night: a time to be happy." He smiled and winked rather suggestively at her.

A delicate blush spread across her face as she caught what he was referring to, and she smiled shyly back. She twisted in his grip and kissed him softly. He pulled her in closer, and their kiss relaxed slightly, becoming more passionate.

Atena broke away suddenly; Atem gave her a confused look which cleared as she lifted the rope that held the Puzzle up and over his head, setting it on the small table beside their bed with a quiet _clink_. Her Tauk followed closely behind, and she fell back into his grip with a new gusto.

The guards stationed around that part of the palace grinned at each other and tried to ignore the sounds of two young, newly married people exploring each other for the first time.

_Mahado_

The priest-to-be sat on the floor of his room, legs crossed in a meditative position. The Ring was off from around his neck, and he was giving it a curious, hard inspection.

He had been concentrating, something his master had taught him to do, after the festivities for Atem and Atena finished, gathering his thoughts and his magic before going to sleep. But in the middle of his calming exercises, his Ring had flashed and sent a wave of emotion through his being.

He held it, frowning, wondering what on earth was going on. As far as he knew, the Ring itself had no personality, nothing that would have triggered the emotion. He brushed his fingers along the points hanging from the Ring. But it was sensitive to the other Items. Perhaps… he frowned deeper, _perhaps it's responding to an emotion from another Item bearer?_

He shook his head. Perhaps he was just losing his mind? Or his control over the Ring? Morbid thoughts, yes…

Settling his mind firmly, he slid the rope holding the Ring around his head again, to rest it against his chest.

_Anger. Overwhelming anger. Plotting, planning, pain… shadows, dark shadows looming, surrounding… control, control, calm… anger, again, but with a tight smile… a plan, a dark plot, slowly, slowly, coming to fruition… satisfaction, tense, terse, and then, low laughter, filled with anger, hate and triumph._

"NO!"

Mahado jolted up. He had been laying on the floor, twisting, from the looks of the objects around him. He placed a hand on his head and the other on the Ring, panting and feeling sweat on his brow.

A vision? Is that what he just had? He shook his head. No… no, it was more… he wasn't sure, but he had a heavy feeling in the pit of his abdomen that this night would not end as happy as it had started.

His breathing was erratic as he tried to gain control of his body again, but he couldn't push away the looming feeling of danger and sudden death. Eventually, the feeling overpowered him until he grabbed his upper arms, shivering, teeth chattering. He blinked hard, and pressed the Ring to his chest with his arms. His head cleared somewhat, and he was able to stand. A face cut though his mind, looking panicked, as one of his spells he laid around the Palace had been tripped.

Someone was summoning the shadows. And they were going after the Pharaoh himself.

"Pharaoh!" He shouted, bolting out of his room, startling Mana, who had been about to knock. She didn't ask, but ran after him, pulling her spell book out of the air, her mouth setting in a hard line.

Mahado ran as fast as he could through the halls, taking all the secret passages he knew, trying to get to the Pharaoh's Palace as fast as he could. As he got closer, he noticed the air thickening, starting to get darker. He grit his teeth, willing himself to run faster. He spared a few short words, and the Ring glowed, humming silently, summoning his _ka_ monster.

He got closer to the Pharaoh's own room, and ran unchallenged by anybody. All the guards, priest, magic-user and solider alike were lying slumped where they had last stood. Mahado felt the life had gone out of them as he passed each one.

Shadow wrapped around his ankles, trying to slow him down, but part of his mind still held his control over the Ring, and he banished the shadows wherever he stepped, his _ka_ monster getting rid of the rest his missed, leaving a clear path for Mana behind him.

But it wasn't enough, and he somehow, desperately knew this, even before the deep, throaty cry rang out against the silent thick air.

"NO!" He shouted again, and the Ring responded to his emotions; a blaze of golden light flew around him, brightening the area which his ran, pushing the shadows back even further, and farther than before.

He burst into the Pharaoh's own room, Ring glowing like the light of Ra himself, shadows fleeing away from the bright, harmful light. But the light diminished in his shock. And the shadows left, their work done, scuttling away from the golden light.

The Pharaoh lay collapsed, half on his large bed. He head rested back, and his arms lay dropped in his lap as though he had them raised to ward off the shadows only moments ago. He gave a deep, rattling sigh as the last breath of air passed from his lungs out his lips. Blood trickled slowly out of the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were wide and glassy. They no longer held the necessary spark of life.

Mahado slowly walked towards him, not wanting to believe, but not denying what he was seeing. He heard Mana fall to her knees behind him and heard her muffled sobs. Still moving slowly, Mahado reached out and closed the former Pharaoh's eyes, then clenched his hands into fists.

He screamed wordlessly to the night sky, and a loud cackle of laughter rang, mocking, underneath.

_Atem_

Atem suddenly was jolted back into alertness from the fuzzy half-sleep of after love. He laid in bed frowning, his arms wrapped around Atena, wondering what had woke him, when he heard a scream echo around the palace, and saw his Puzzle flash urgently from the table.

He bolted straight up, a feeling of dread filling him. Atena stirred quietly next to him.

"Atem? What's the matter?"

"Father." He answered, though he didn't know why. He hopped out of bed, pulling his kilt on from where it was on the floor and picked up the Puzzle. As soon as he made contact with the Item, his feeling of unease grew.

Atena slipped out of bed, awake also. From her quiet gasp behind him, he guessed she had put on the Tauk.

He dashed out of the room, and was dimly aware that Atena was right behind, pulling a light robe over her naked body.

They reached the hall that lead to his room. It was full of people in the palace who had also heard the scream. Most of them were sitting, or leaning against the walls, wailing softly, crying mournfully. When they noticed Atem running by, they bowed, pressing their foreheads to the floor. The murmured word of "Pharaoh" followed them into their father's room.

Seto reached the door at the same time Atem did. He quickly bowed his head.

"Prince! I heard a scream come from here! Do you think….?" He was cut off by Atena's gasp. The males glanced in the room, eyes widening. Seto allowed the royal couple through the door first, then followed them, the Rod clenched in his fist.

Mahado and Mana were kneeling by the body of the former Pharaoh, Mahado's arm around the younger, sobbing girl. He turned around and made eye contact with Atem.

"I am… so sorry." He choked out. "I wasn't fast enough to save your father… Pharaoh."

At the word, Atem felt a large weight drop onto his shoulders. _It seems I have left my childhood completely behind tonight._ He thought, slightly bitterly.

He fell to his knees next to the body, and Atena was instantly at his side. Tears were running down her face, smearing the golden and bright black make-up she wore and hadn't yet cleaned off.

His father's body was already cold. Clearly, his death had not been natural, and a glint from the Puzzle confirmed this. A cold anger washed over him, and he made his first vow, as Pharaoh, that he would bring who was responsible for this injustice to right.

Placing his arm around Atena's, he roughly wiped the corners of his own eyes. Here was a moment his father had been training him for, though he had hoped it would not come for a long time. He took a deep breath, building back his composure. Regally, he knelt and bowed his head, resting it on his father's chest.

"Pass peacefully father. All shall be ready and waiting for you."

He stood, and even Atena could feel the difference in the way he was standing; she glanced up at him, in awe.

One pharaoh had passed from this world to become Osiris in the next. Here, another Horus stood to take his place on the throne.

Atem heard the whispering of movement behind him, turned and saw that all in vision were kneeling, bowing to him. It felt… strange. Wrong, and yet… right.

"My father has passed over the Western Horizon." He spoke in the silence. "Call in the royal embalmer."

His order was obeyed immediately. Preparations to help the former Pharaoh in his journey though the Underworld started right away.

Atem watched as the embalmers gently moved his father's body out of the palace and to the royal embalming fields. Many of the other people left, having other duties to attend to, but Atem was not alone in the room. Atena, Mahado, Mana, and Seto stayed, waiting for orders from him, but he didn't send them away. He found them and their presence comforting. In time, the other Item bearers gathered in the room, and leant their silent, unwavering strength and loyalty to the new Pharaoh.

All but one, whose face of mourning was merely a mask covering a smirk of glee, and triumph.

* * *

Mmm…

So, I didn't cover exactly what I said I would, but hey, that's the way the story goes.

I haven't killed off many characters… I hate to do so (usually) cuz it's a rather painful process for me as the writer.

But, *ahem* anyways…

Next time:

We'll travel back to the present day. Atena has a few questions of her own she wants answered…


	15. Questions and Truth

Within the Traces of My Memories

Chapter 15

Questions and Truth

_Aieko_

I sat back, throwing my pencil down on the desk and rubbing my hands through my hair.

"You know, it's _really_ hard to concentrate on homework with you being all emo like that."

Atena looked up from her seat on the bed, her knees tucked to her chin and her arms around her legs. "Emo?" She asked, looked confused and hollow-eyed.

"Emotional." I scowled at her, remembering that the other girl didn't know the lingo of this time. "Your depression is distracting." I signed as Atena looked down at the bedspread, obviously not happy. I rubbed my eyes. "Perhaps a visit to a certain someone is in order."

Atena looked up, rather hopeful. "Perhaps?"

"I'm not gonna get this homework done tonight; I can't concentrate with you sulking like that. It leeches into my spirit and makes me all lethargic and depressed too." I stood up and stretched, feeling my back crack. "Ah… that felt good."

I flipped open my cell phone, wandering out of the room to the living room window. It wasn't too late yet; if I didn't stay very long, then the buses should still be running by the time I wanted to come home. I wandered back to my room, Atena following the whole way.

The ringing stopped as someone picked up on the other line. "Mouto Game Shop, how may I help you?"

"Yugi?"

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Aieko."

"Oh! Hi! How's it going?"

I smiled. The boy was cute, and it seemed he was always good natured. "I'm fine, more or less, but I was wondering if I could stop by for a while? There's someone here who has questions for one of your closest friends, and I feel like I can't concentrate on my homework 'til she gets to talk to him."

Yugi was quiet for a long moment. Atena was looking anxiously at me.

_Why __am __I __speaking __in __code? __It__'__s __not __like __there__'__s __anybody __listening __in__…_

'What's he saying?'

I glanced over at Atena, speaking through our mental link. "Nothing yet; I think he's having a long conversation with—"

"I think he would really like it if you guys did come over." Yugi finally answered, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh. Well, all right then, we'll be there soon. Oh, and Yugi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "You're welcome. See you soon."

I flipped my phone shut and wandered over to the hallway, pulling my coat, scarf and other warm wear out of the closet.

'By virtue of you getting ready to go outside, I'm assuming we're going to go talk to him.'

I winked up at Atena. "Way to go, Sherlock."

She frowned. 'Who's Sherlock?'

I sighed. "Never mind."

-0-

The walk over was uneventful, save for me slipping on a patch of ice as I stepped on the bus, resulting in a comical, yet apparently graceful spill across the surprisingly clean bus floor and several bruises I could feel forming in various places. Atena found it funny.

'You know, that's the good thing about Egypt: no ice on the ground to slip on.'

"Oh shut up." I murmured out loud, and the lady standing next to me gave me an odd look.

Atena's mood roller-coastered the whole way. She would be excited and eager one moment, and then terrified the next. Her nervousness only grew as we got closer to the game shop.

I stood in front of the door, looking at the "OPEN" sign. Atena was biting her nails. I raised an eyebrow at her.

'I'm nervous.' She said, rather lamely. 'What… what if Bakura was right?'

I thought about it a moment, then shrugged. "Then you help him remember. Easy."

She gave me a strange look. 'It may not be as easy as you say.'

"Now you're just being pessimistic." I replied, then walked into the store.

The bell over the door jingled merrily, and Yugi looked down at me. "Hey Aieko!" He said, wobbling slightly on his large stack of boxes. "Let me just finish putting things away here…"

I grinned. It was rather funny to have to look up to see Yugi. He had piled a stack of five large boxes and was doing something with some merchandise up there—I couldn't quite see.

"Ah… be careful."

He smiled, and nimbly jumped down to the counter, then slid to the floor. "Ah, don't worry. I've been doing this for a long time. I've got the balance figured out." He started breaking down the boxes, and I looked at some of the games on display in the counter cases. A slightly awkward silence filled the air. Atena was wringing her hands.

"It's not too cold outside, is it?" Yugi finally asked when he was done.

I shook my head. "Not if you're bundled up. There's no wind right now."

"Shall we take a walk?"

I tilted my head slightly, feeling my eyebrows raise.

"Well, we don't really have a living room…" Yugi fidgeted with his coat. "And I'm not too comfortable with a supposedly married couple talking in my room…"

"Gottcha." I said, grinning. "That could be rather awkward. Let's walk. There's a park nearby, right?"

He nodded, pulling his gloves on, then opened the door for me. "After you."

"Why, thank you."

The exchange was slightly comical to me, but underneath, in some deeper part of me, it felt right.

We walked a little while, chatting about nothing in particular, but mostly school. Atena's anxiousness was starting to spread, and I wiggled my hands in my pockets.

"Calm down." I told her, when there was a lull in the conversation. "You'll see him soon."

She didn't reply, but just nodded her head jerkily.

We finally reached a park—nothing much, just a patch of grass covered in packed snow, with a tiny playground and a couple of benches scattered around. Some of the benches were clear, and someone had even built a tiny snowman next to the little slide.

Yugi stopped next to one of the benches. "He's really nervous." He said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"She is too." I whispered back. "They haven't been alone together for… what, 3,000 years?"

Yugi cracked a smile from under his scarf. "That's true." He paused. "Ready?"

"Go."

A brief flash of golden light lit up the little park.

_Yami_

'Are you sure about this?'

"As sure as I ever am."

'I don't remember her at all Yugi…'

The boy frowned. "Well, your memories aren't going to come back if you just sit there. She's the most likely to help you remember, as long as she is who she says she is."

I thought about that for a moment. 'The Tauk did accept her… She must be…' I didn't want to finish the sentence.

"Go on partner." He smiled. "Things will work out."

I couldn't help but smile back. 'They just might.'

-0-

There was a brief flash of golden light. I opened my eyes and gazed at the girl… woman standing across from me. She stared back, searching my face. I swallowed, keeping my gaze steady.

"It _is_ you." She breathed, then stepped forward and almost fell. I held out my arms to catch her, and pulled her close.

"Yes, it's me." I replied softly, not knowing what else to say. She had wrapped her arms around me and was holding me tightly. I tilted my head down and put my face in her hair.

_This __is__… __so __familiar..._

There was a memory there, waiting at the edge of my conscious mind, and I held her tighter, trying to tease it back to the open. But it stayed there, mocking me.

I couldn't remember her name.

She pulled back, smiling up at me, corners of her eyes glistening like the snow around us. "Don't cry." I said, smiling. "Your tears might freeze to your face."

"But I'm just so happy to see you again A—!" Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. She couldn't speak my name.

"All my memories are under lock and key." I explained, glancing away. "And that includes my name. It looks like the spell extends to you as well."

She frowned. "But I remember, I do remember! I remember our wedding and father's—" Her voice was silenced again, and anger flit across her face. "How am I supposed to help you remember if I can't even tell you what I remember?" She was frustrated, and it showed clearly on her face.

"I don't know the answer to that." I replied softly, absentmindedly stroking her hair. It was a reassuring motion. "If I did, I would have called you by name by now." I smiled sadly. She looked up sharply.

"You don't… remember my name?"

I shook my head, not able to talk.

She sighed, and buried her face in my chest. Her back shook under my arms as she took several shuddering breaths. "He was right…" I heard her whisper into my coat.

I felt my eyes narrowing. I had a vague impression about who 'he' was, but decided to not push it.

"Don't worry." I said, forcefully pushing the anger out of my voice; I started stroking her hair again. "I will remember with time. I just ask for your patience."

She looked up at me and nodded fiercely. "No matter what life and time we are living in, you will always have my love as support A—" Her eyes flashed as she mouthed my name; she was still angry about not being able to speak it.

"Thank you." I said, feeling a large wave of gratitude wash over me. I knew I couldn't get back my memories without help.

She took a step back, bowed deeply, then rushed into my arms again. "Anything for you, my Pharaoh."

-0-

Across the street, another figure was hidden in the shadows of an alley. His hair blended easily into the snow on the buildings around him.

A familiar pang tugged at Bakura's heart, but he squashed it down with the ease of someone who has been doing the same thing for a long time.

He glanced down at the Ring. Two of the points were trembling and pointing straight towards the entwined couple. He grit his teeth, arguing with himself, then turned and stalked back down the alleyway.

_Your __Items __stay __safe __for __another __day, __but __they __will __soon __be __mine__…_

* * *

Welcome to NaNoWriMo! :D

For those of you who don't know what that is, it's National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50k words in 30 days—by November 30. Ah, but the neat part is, you're not allowed to edit! :D

I'm kinda breaking that rule and going over the chapters I post, so I'm not posting any errors or stuff like that, but yeah.

I will finish this story before the end of the month.

Sorry to make you guys wait so long for this, but I think it's a good thing. My writing has vastly improved, and I have an actual end to the story in mind now too, haha.

Oh, and I just wanted you all to know: the wedding scene in the last chapter was completely made up. Ancient Egyptians didn't have big ceremonies like we do. So, I just made up something special for the Royal Couple. I mean, they ARE the ruling family after all. XD

oh, and you may have noticed the -0- floating around in the chapter. that's my new "break" line, since the site isn't letting me use the normal 3 dashes. it's obnoxious. ( but yes, get used to it, cuz it works out just fine

Next time: Mahado and Seto decide to investigate what they think is the unnatural death of the previous Pharaoh. And Atem may be crowned too. Depends on what I write tomorrow. XD

Thanks for reading and leave a review please! I do like encouragement… it makes writing all the worthwhile. ^^


	16. Investigation

Chapter 16

"Investigation"

_Mana_

The young girl watched with pinched eyes as her master paced around the room. His face was dark and clouded, and the Ring had an almost visible black aura.

_I __don__'__t __think __I__'__ve __ever __seen __him __this __angry__…_ she thought nervously to herself. Her fingers played with the edges of her spell book pages. She opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. She had tried several times in the last half hour to try to speak to him, but she had always felt too scared to break his concentration.

Mahado generally wasn't a scary person. In fact, on any other day, she wouldn't hesitate to chatter with him as they wandered around. But when he got in a mood like this, even she knew better than to interrupt with idle talk.

But Mana couldn't sit still for very long, and after ten more minutes, she had been pushed to the limit of her short patience.

"Master?" She asked quietly when he stalked past her again. "What are you thinking about? You're… not yourself."

Mahado stopped, his back to her. He stood stock still for a moment, then sighed and sat next to the girl.

"I've been… replaying the Phar—the former Pharaoh's death in my mind." His scowl grew more pronounced. "It just does not feel right to me at all." He whispered, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"It is a good thing to know I am not the only one that feels that way."

Mahado and Mana both jumped out of their skins, flying off the bench and whirling around. "Seto!" Mahado exclaimed. "Don't startle us like that!"

The other priest simply shrugged. "Do not blame me for you and your student's lack of attention."

Mahado scowled again, and Mana's breathing finally returned mostly to normal as she relaxed and let go of the magic she had gathered.

Seto stood, arms folded, and one hand clutching the Rod tightly. His face was calm and rather expressionless, but the white knuckles on his hand gave away his anxiousness.

Mana stood still, her gaze shifting between the two priests.

"We should investigate." Seto said quietly. "It is our duty."

Mahado nodded slowly. "Yes."

They turned to leave, and Mana finally unstuck herself from the floor. "Wait! Master, can I come help you?" Mahado and Seto both stopped and turned to face her. Seto's face wore an expression of annoyance, but Mahado's was carefully blank. "I… I mean," Mana stammered, "I want to help you and the former Pharaoh too."

"No Mana." Mahado's voice was soft. "I have a feeling it will be dangerous, and your magic is not yet advanced enough to help us." He walked back over to her, knelt so that their eyes were level and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Why don't you go find Atena? She must be lonely right now."

Mana tilted her head slightly with a sharp movement, like a bird. "How can you tell?"

Mahado smiled slightly, glancing down at the Ring. "I just can. Now, go."

Unhappy, but obedient, Mana gave him a small down and scampered off.

Once she was out of their sight though, she crouched next to the wall and peered around the doorway, listening hard.

Seto was talking. "That girl is too energetic."

"She is young, Seto."

"That may be, but you need to train her better. Or may I suggest sending her to become a priestess?"

Mana's eyes widened and she bit her bottom lip. She had heard the difficult things that those training to become priestesses had to go through, and she didn't really want to do any of that. Not to mention that she enjoyed being a court magician more than anything, even if she was still just a novice. Here, she was able to be with her friends. She didn't want to be sent off!

Mahado was speaking. She couldn't see his face—his back was to her—but she could hear the frown in his voice.

"Mana is a good girl. She may be struggling at times, and… well, annoying at others, but deep down, she really enjoys it here. Besides, I do like teaching her."

Seto shook his head. "You are too sentimental about her. That could lead to your downfall one day."

Mahado didn't reply, but Mana could see his shoulders tighten.

"Well, are we going to stand here arguing, or are we going to investigate?"

Seto nodded curtly and whirled around, his cape fanning out dramatically behind him. Mahado followed, but paused at the door. He turned back and looked directly at Mana, made a little shoo-ing motion with his hand, and followed after Seto.

Mana felt her face colour. _Well, __he __wouldn__'__t __be __a __Master __magician __if __he __couldn__'__t __tell __when __his __apprentice __was __spying __on __him__…_

She sighed quietly, then turned down the hall and headed for the Queen's wing.

_Mahado_

Mahado and Seto stood outside the hallway to the former Pharaoh's room. Guards were standing guard at the corners and all the way down the hallway. A slow trickle of servants and apprentice priests moved in and out of the room, carrying various pieces of furniture and things that the former Pharaoh had collected. These things would be sealed in his tomb with him, to take to the next life. Mahado grit his teeth. He had hoped this process wouldn't have started yet, as he wanted the room in the same state it had been. But they couldn't have gotten too much work done. The former Pharaoh had only died last night.

Getting past the guards was not hard. All it took was a wave of their Items, and they were immediately let through. Everyone else just as quickly responded, leaving the two priests alone in the large, ornate room.

Mirrors had been taken off the walls, and several chairs had been removed as well, and so had any small items that had been on any surface. But the bed and other large furniture were still there, and Mahado allowed himself a tight smile at this.

"Where do we begin?" Seto whispered, glancing around the room.

Mahado moved to the edge of the doorway, kneeling by it and placing two fingers on the floor. His Ring started to glow. "I placed several spells throughout the room. This one here tells me whenever someone or something passes through the doorway, and their feelings for the former Pharaoh." He frowned. "Someone summoned the shadows from beyond and then…"

"And then?" Seto prompted, not liking being without knowledge.

"And then entered this room a little while later."

Mahado heard Seto's sharp intake of air. "It must have been an inside job."

The Ring Bearer stood up, shaking his head. "I can't say that for certain."

Seto frowned. "But afterwards, only Item bearers were let in. No one else would have entered this room without one of us noticing; and no one had been allowed in until all of us had left. Atem… Pharaoh was in here for a long time." He paused. "Can you tell when each person has left the room?"

"No. I only know when something has passed through the doorway, but not the direction they were going."

Seto folded his arms again. "That's a pity." He wandered over to the bed, gripping the Rod tightly. He knelt on the floor, next to where the former Pharaoh had fallen. There were a couple of tiny spots of red, marking where the blood had fallen from the former Pharaoh's face. He stared hard and noticed that a certain area of the stones was lighter than the surrounding area. The shadows had bleached the colour right out of the stones. The former Pharaoh must have put up a good fight.

Mahado wandered around the edge of the room, gathering information from all his spells; there was nothing in them that would help them in their investigation here. He sighed, feeling frustrated. This was not the way he had been hoping things would work out.

"Mahado." Seto called, and the young magician made his way over.

"Did you find something?"

"Look at these stones. The colour is lighter where the former Pharaoh's body laid."

Mahado squinted. "You're right. That's not natural."

"As far as I know, the shadows are only things that can leech the colour away from other things."

Mahado nodded slowly. Seto looked at him expectantly. Silence passed between the two as they both thought hard.

"We need more evidence." Mahado said slowly. "We need a name before we can take this to the Pharaoh."

Seto punched the ground in frustration, cutting the skin on his knuckled. "Whoever did this covered their tracks up very well." He growled. "But we will find them." He glanced sharply up at Mahado. "Keep your spells up, and see if we can't tell if the same person who wished the former Pharaoh ill comes in here again." He paused, then plunged ahead with his thoughts. "Place that same spell around the doorways of the Item holders." Mahado gave him a questioning look. "All of us Item holders are suspect. You said that the person who summoned the shadows entered later, and there were only the seven of us, plus Mana. Item holders are the only ones who can summon the shadows with any ease, so it must have been one of us."

Mahado nodded; the logic made sense.

"But don't let the others see you placing the spell. No one else can know what we're up to."

"That goes without saying…" Mahado muttered.

Seto shot him a glare, then stood up. "I think there's no more information we can glean from here. Let me know when you've completed your task."

Mahado nodded, and Seto swung his cloak around, letting it billow out behind him as he exited the room.

_How __dramatic__…_ Mahado thought sarcastically. _I __could __do __that __with __my __cloak __too, __if __I __wanted._

He also exited, thanking the guards for guarding the room, and warning them to not speak of anything they might have heard. He and Seto had been talking quietly, but servants and everyone had ears in the walls. Better to be safe than sorry.

Mahado paused, then wandered over to the Main Throne Room, on impulse. As he got closer, the Ring gave a slight shudder, and one of its points stuck up, pointing directly into the Throne Room. He wandered in, and wasn't surprised to see Atem inside.

The young Pharaoh had his back to the door, and was standing several steps below the thrones, giving the chair he would soon occupy a hard stare.

Mahado smiled, and snuck up quietly to the bottom of the stairs. "Where are your guards, Pharaoh?"

From the height Atem jumped into the air, Mahado guessed that he had been very deep in thought. "Mahado!" He shouted, grabbing at his chest. "Don't scare me like that!"

The priest chuckled, but knelt on the bottom stair. "I was just asking a simple question, my Pharaoh."

He heard Atem sigh and footsteps on the stairs. Soon, Atem was pulling on his arm, making him stand up and sit on the step next to him. "Please don't do that." He said, frowning and resting his chin in his hand. "I'm going to have enough of that for the rest of my life."

Mahado nodded, and they sat in a ponderous silence for a few minutes.

"When is your coronation ceremony?" Mahado eventually asked.

"The day after tomorrow," came the reply, "when the sun is at its highest."

Mahado felt taken aback. "Isn't that rather… soon?"

One of Atem's fists clenched. "Apparently not. And I will need the time afterwards to learn the proper spells and incantations for my father's burial. That is why they have to crown me now, so I have access to such secrets."

Mahado nodded. The rituals for the dead were not his specialty, but he had been present when the former Queen was being embalmed: it was a lengthy process, and a priest needed to oversee it every step of the way.

"I'm scared Mahado."

The whisper startled the priest. "Why?"

Atem looked miserably down the length of the great Throne Room. "My father was a great Pharaoh, and I will see to it that he is remembered. He ruled this country well, and the people love him for it. I have to live up to that, and I… I don't know if I'm up to the task." He looked down at his knees. "I don't know if I could ever live up to my father's name, or even to be worthy of the title."

Mahado blinked. This was not what he had been expecting—today seemed to be the day for surprises.

After a moment, he reached out and placed a comforting hand on Atem's shoulder. "No matter what, I will always be here with you, ready to direct, serve, and protect you Atem." He smiled kindly as the Pharaoh looked up at him. "Ruling a country is a difficult thing, and it takes practice, but I know you will also be looked at as a great ruler."

Atem returned with a weak smile. "Thank you Mahado." He reached out and put his hand on Mahado's shoulder. "If you're always here, then nothing can go wrong, right?"

Priest and Pharaoh shared a chuckle.

_I__ hope __you__'__re __right__…_ Mahado thought, hiding his worry behind his smile.

* * *

NaNoWriMo, day 3! … Ok, day 4! *posting this after midnight* _

Boy, this story is long… hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, so I can get cranking on my next fanfic…

Next time: a new Pharaoh is crowned

Leave a review please!


	17. Ruler of the Two Lands

Chapter 17

"Ruler of the Two Lands"

_Atem_

Atem rubbed his eyes, sighing quietly. He sat up, throwing the covers away, and padded over to the balcony. He leaned on the banister, feeling the slight cooling breeze rising up from the waters of the Nile. The sun has started turning the sky from black to navy blue.

Atem watched as the sun started to lighten the sky further, feeling the bags under his eyes pulling on his face, making him feel older and tired. The past two nights had been spent sleeplessly as he worried about what this day would bring. Again, the worries flooded his mind, and he leaned his elbows on the banister, rubbing his eyes hard.

Running a country would _not_ be as easy as his father made it look. And he was scared to take the mantle. He knew it would have to happen, eventually, but he had been expecting that eventually to not come for a while… or ever come. But here it was, and today he would receive the Double Crown.

Idly, he wondered how heavy it would be.

The sky started to tinge pink, then orange and yellow as the tip of the sun edged over the horizon. He watched it as it made its slow ascent up the sky. Once more, the sun boat had survived the night in the Underworld, and today, it would welcome the new Horus as a passenger.

He closed his eyes and held out his arms. He liked this part of the day the best, when the sun slowly warmed the earth. He felt the light warming his skin, and his mind slowly calmed. This, what he was feeling, was the power of the god that he held, and it somehow felt natural. The worry was still there, but he felt the fear evaporating under the increasing heat.

Perhaps being Pharaoh wouldn't be as bad as he feared. Perhaps…

A glare of gold light and a sudden feeling of alarm was all the warning he had. He dropped to his knees, and something flew above his head.

He stayed hiding behind the banister and looked up. At the top of the doorway, a brightly fletched arrow had embedded itself in a crack in the stone, holding a small chunk of his hair like a prize. He heard a curse from below, and glanced over the railing in enough time to see a flash of red pass through the greenery at the edge of his private gardens where it met the palace wall.

"Tch!" He hissed, jumping from the low balcony to a tree below, landing on the ground like a cat. He had done this many times before, when he and Mahado played games as children.

Atem ran in the direction he had seen the flash of red, his Puzzle bouncing on his chest. He followed some quiet rustling sounds, jumping over the low wall that separated his gardens from the rest of the palace grounds, turned a corner, then backpedaled in surprise.

"Akhenaden!"

The older man turned around in shock. "Pharaoh! What are you doing out here this early?"

"I… I was…" Atem paused, taking in several deep breaths. "I was just… taking a run around the gardens. The exercise feels good and I like looking at the plants." He lied.

Akhenaden frowned. "You should be inside, getting prepared for your coronation Pharaoh. This is one of the most important days of your life, and you should be well-prepared and on time for it."

Atem gave the older man a princely scowl. "Yes, well, perhaps I felt like moving around first before having to sit for hours on end."

The High Priest bowed his head, stooping his shoulders into a bow as well. "Forgive me Pharaoh, I did not know."

Atem watched the top of his head as Akenaden stayed in his bow. "What are you doing out so early?"

He thought he saw the stooped back stiffen. "The same as you, Pharaoh, though at a slower pace." He lifted his head and attempted to smile.

Atem gave a small smile in return. "I had best be going back now."

"As you wish Pharaoh. I will be at the coronation."

Atem turned and started slowly wandering back the way he came, climbing back over the low wall.

What was that flash of red he had seen earlier? And why was someone trying to kill him? He hadn't even been _crowned_Pharaoh yet, and already there was an assassination attempt. Bitterly, he wondered if that was a new record.

He climbed deftly back up to his balcony—a feat that looked difficult unless you knew the exact right place to put your feet—and met Mahado, who was holding the arrow in a white-knuckled hand.

"What happened?"

Atem frowned, pulling his hair off the arrow. "I believe someone tried to kill me." He said, feeling the top of one of his hair points. No matter what he or anyone else did, his hair always stubbornly remained stuck in the air. "I thought I saw them in the gardens, and chased after them, but I ran into the High Priest instead and lost them." He sighed, twisting the hair in his fingers and slowly letting it drop piece by piece over the balcony to drift in the air.

Mahado dropped to his knee. "I am sorry I was not here to protect you Pharaoh."

"Please stand up." Atem said in a weary voice. "You know I don't like having you bow to me. We're friends."

The magician-priest hesitated, then stood and looked Atem in the eye. "What should we do, Atem?"

The young Pharaoh thought for a moment, then rubbed his eyes. "Since we lost the person, there is nothing we can do now." He glanced into his empty bedroom, then started rubbing his eyes again. "Don't tell Atena either. I don't want her to start worrying."

Mahado nodded. "As long as it stays between the two of us, she won't find out."

Atem nodded, and wandered over to the large bed, sitting on the edge. After a moment, he loudly clapped his hands, twice. A servant shuffled into the room, bowing low. "What is your wish, great Pharaoh?"

"How long will it take me to get ready for my coronation today?"

The servant thought for a moment. "Several hours, I believe, my lord."

Atem nodded, then yawned. "Wake me up when I'm needed, then."

The servant bowed again and backed out of the room.

Mahado raised an eyebrow as Atem climbed back under the thin sheets. "You haven't been sleeping well?"

"Not since father died." Atem mumbled. "Will you stay? I'd feel better with some company."

Mahado nodded, and sat on a chair next to the doorway leading out to the balcony. "Of course, Pharaoh."

Atem mumbled a "thank you," then closed his eyes. He didn't have to wait long for sleep to finally overcome his tired body.

-0-

"Wake up Pharaoh."

Someone was gently shaking Atem's shoulder. He mumbled something unintelligible, then yawned and opened his eyes. Mahado was standing over him, smiling quietly. "It's time for you to get ready."

Atem rubbed his eyes and sat up. There was what appeared to be a small army of servants bowing at the foot of his bed.

_How __many __servants __does __it __take__…_ He thought, then almost reluctantly swung out of bed. The sun was higher in the sky, but it wasn't very hot yet. He nurtured some hope that it wouldn't get much hotter. He would be sitting in the sun wearing a lot of gold metal. He really didn't want to burn or die from too much heat.

He motioned to Mahado. "Will you bring Atena in?" He whispered to his friend. "I just need to see her before I'm paraded around in front of everyone."

Mahado nodded and walked out of the room, heading for the Queen's room.

"Well then," Atem turned to the servants. Somehow, a giant, plush stool had appeared in front of the group, "let's get started, shall we?"

First, they washed him down cleaning off the sweat and dirt from his early morning dash through the gardens. Then he put on a kilt that looked and felt to be made from woven gold. It was silky, and felt good against his skin. Each servant held one item made of gold, and they each stepped forward one at a time to place what they were holding on him. There was an ornate belt that tied around his waist, and the ends rested across his front. Large bracelets fit around his entre forearm, made completely out of gold and inlaid with precious stones in intricate patterns. Smaller bracelets wrapped around his upper arms. Golden sandals were placed on his feet, and golden anklets around his ankles that jingled whenever he took a step. A large, wide-collared necklace, just as detailed and set with stones as his armbands, was placed around his shoulders. At this point, the servants gave pause so that he could slip the Puzzle around his neck to hang on his chest. A light white cape with gold patterns embroidered around the edge was attached to the back of his collar. Rings were placed on his fingers and a couple of his toes, and large golden earrings were slid through the piercings in his ears.

The servants stepped back, finally having finished all they had come to do. Atem stood, and two other servants hurried forward with a length of polished glass so the Pharaoh could look at his reflection. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. His face looked the same to him, but he felt he was looking at the body of a god. So much gold! He twisted his head, feeling the earring jangle and tug gently at his earlobe, when he caught sight of someone behind him reflected in the mirror.

Atena was standing in the doorway, next to Mahado. Her fingers were pressed to her mouth, in shock or awe, Atem couldn't tell. He turned to face her, and they both fell to their knees, bowing low. He walked over jingling gently with every step, bent down, grabbed both their hands and pulled them up to stand.

"How do I look?" He asked, smiling and holding out his arms.

"Like Horus come to earth." Atena breathed out.

He smiled, and kissed her forehead. "Thank you." He whispered back, his eyes meeting hers. "I go now," he said, speaking formally, "to the temple of Amun to receive my secrets from the gods."

"Go quickly Pharaoh." Atena bowed, speaking formally as well. "And return to rule the two lands in righteousness."

The whole scene had a very ritualistic feel about it. Mahado, the magician-priest and chief of the new Pharaoh's security escorted him out of the bedrooms into the main palace proper. Together, they stood in front of the large wooden doors.

Atem paused. "What now?"

Mahado couldn't hold back a smile. Atem would always be and act like a little brother to him. "I'll take you to your liter, and from there, you will ride to the temple. Inside the inner sanctum, you will commune with the gods, receive the Double Crown and the Crook and Flail, then come back out to be taken back here."

Atem nodded. He knew exactly what would happen—he had been preparing for it for most of his life—but it felt comforting to hear it from his friend.

"Right… here I go." He took a deep breath and motioned to the guards at the doors, who suddenly sprang to life and pushed open the heavy wooden doors.

The sun streamed into the hall, but Atem adjusted quickly to the sudden light and strode purposefully down the stairs. People again filled the streets to bursting, cheering their Pharaohs along as he walked down the stairs and stepped into the large Royal Liter. He sat as still as he could, fists clenched in his lap, looking like the picture of a perfect Pharaoh, sand the crowns and other regal symbols. He was borne aloft easily by eight strong men, and the liter was quickly surrounded with guards, all handpicked by Mahado and somewhat proficient in magic. Mahado himself was to Atem's immediate left; and the liter made its slow, stately walk down the main road.

When they finally reached the temple, the bearers set the liter down with hardly a noticeable bump, and Atem stepped off, walking up the guard-lined steps to the temple, Mahado right behind him on his right. At the top waited the five remaining Item bearers—Atena had somehow gotten there before him, without anyone noticing. She smiled when she noticed his surprise, and quickly winked at him. Atem relaxed and nearly laughed, but years of training kept his face still. He nodded gravely to her instead, but his eyes were laughing.

Each Item bearer bowed at the waist and gestured into the temple. Mahado gave him a gentle and un-seen squeeze on the shoulder before bowing him through the doorway.

"Thank you." Atem mouthed to him, out of sight of anyone else, and stepped through the open doorway alone.

The cheers of the people remained with him as he passed through the hall with its huge pillars, until he finally stepped into the open-aired court. There, the priests of the temple were waiting, bowed for him.

_I __guess __I __really __have __to __get __used __to __seeing __just __the __tops __of __people__'__s __heads __now_. He thought to himself.

The Head Priest straightened. "Pharaoh, the gods await you in the inner chamber. Come, I will direct the way."

"Proceed."

Atem followed the short priest with his shaved head through a large stone door to the outer chambers. They stopped in front of another, smaller stone door. Atem hid a shiver. The outer chamber was mostly enclosed, and a lot cooler than outside in the court and in the city. The inner chamber, he knew, would be completely enclosed, and probably colder too.

"Beyond this door lies the inner chamber where the spirit of the god Amun resides." The priest paused significantly. "From him you will receive secrets and knowledge that no one else can or should know—you, as a god on earth, are the only one worthy and strong enough to hear these secrets. Come back out when you are finished; I will be waiting here."

Atem nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open, walking inside the inner chamber alone.

* * *

Hmm… another cliff hanger… but this chapter is long enough already. I thought I'd give you guys a break. XD

NaNoWriMo is the best thing ever.

Next time: Atem speaks with the gods and someone he hasn't seen in years.

Leave a review please!


	18. Secrets of the Gods

Chapter 18

"Secrets of the Gods"

_Atem_

Atem pushed open the door and slid inside the inner chamber. The candle flames flickered at the sudden rush of air, and calmed when he closed the door. A single beam of light was shooting down from a small hole in the ceiling, and it was shining directly on the face of the golden statue of Amun.

Atem took a moment to look around. This wouldn't be his last time in the inner chamber, but it was still his first visit, and what he saw stunned and impressed him.

There was a man-sized statue of Amun, the greatest of all the gods and the one who controlled the sun, made completely out of gold, sitting in a shrine in the middle of the room. Its eyes were bright blue stones, and they threw hundreds of blue sparkles on the wall in front of it as they reflected the sun's light. Amun was wearing a golden Double Crown, and clenched his own golden Crook and Flail tightly. The real Double Crown and Crook and Flail were resting on a pedestal in front of the statue, as though patiently waiting to be picked up.

Atem tore his eyes from the center and looked around the edge of the room. The walls were brightly coloured and lit by dozens of candles set on the floor, depicting scenes of Egypt's great history, from the creation to the story of Osiris and Horus, to the unification of the two lands by the first Pharaoh. Each scene was separated by a niche which held another statue of a god or goddess. The eight other gods and goddesses of the Ennead were here in statue form, as well as several other small statues of other important deities. Truly, he was in a holy place.

Atem slipped the sandals from his feet and set them next to the door. Reverently, he walked forward, ignoring the cold stone beneath his feet and instead concentrating on the golden statue of Amun in front of him. He knelt and bowed, pressing his forehead to the floor for a moment before sitting up. As he stared at the statue he realized something. Here was one of the few places on earth where he would be among equals. He, the Pharaoh was a god clothed in human flesh.

The idea finally hit him with full force, and he sat in shock for several minutes, one hand absentmindedly fiddling with the Puzzle. He let his gaze wander from Amun to the Crown and Crook and Flail. Blinking, he noticed a small statue resting on another pedestal just behind the Double Crown. He must have missed it before in his first glance around the room: it was sitting directly where the reflected light from Amun's face would light it up and hide it from a casual glance. Atem leaned closer, then quickly bowed again as he realized who the statue was representing.

It was his father.

"Oh, father…" Atem whispered to the floor before sitting up again. "I am sorry…" He clenched his fists in his lap and lowered his head, feeling the corners of his eyes starting to get wet. He scrunched up his eyes, trying to keep the tears from coming out and took several deep breaths. "Father… what am I supposed to do? I can't run a country… I feel too young and inexperienced. How am I to live up to your legacy?"

A single tear fell, unbidden, from his eye, and quietly splashed on top of his Puzzle. In response, the eye of Ra set in it started to glow.

Atem opened his eyes, tears drying and forgotten as he watched the Puzzle. It glowed warmly, and the color reminded him of his father's gentle instructions that he had given.

Another, brighter glow echoed the Puzzle's—it was coming from somewhere in front of him. He felt his breath catch in his chest as some immeasurable power flowed into the room and settled around him. He looked up at the other large golden thing in the room…

And golden-skinned Amun looked back, with a kind smile on his face.

Atem watched, shocked, unblinking, as the statue of Amun lowered the Crook and Flail to his lap, blinked slowly, and smiled.

"Well met, young Pharaoh." He said, his voice sounding warm, like the very sun.

"A… Amun…" Atem croaked in response.

The god blinked slowly and his smile widened. "That's the reaction of most every other Pharaoh before you, so you don't need to feel afraid or ashamed." He waved one of his golden hands, and the other eight gods and goddesses from the Ennead shone gold and stepped from their niches. They formed a semi-circle around Atem, each of them smiling kindly—except Set, who never really smiled to begin with.

"We have much to teach you Atem." Amun said. "But first, there is a spirit who has been begging to speak with you… and since she was a good person in this life, I will grant her her wish."

Isis, the goddess of magic, stepped forward and placed a small statue next to the one of Atem's father. He blinked, and the statue started to glow, and soon, a small ghost of a person rose from the statue.

"Atem?" She asked in an echo-y voice.

The new Pharaoh nearly started crying again. "Mother?" He reached forward and gently picked up the statue, bringing the ghost closer to his face.

"Atem, it _is_ you! Oh, how you've grown! You're such a handsome young man now… well… an handsome Pharaoh now. I'm so proud of you, you can't believe!" She reached out and touched his face, sending cold shivers through his skin wherever she touched, but still managing to make the gesture feel warm and full of love. "Your father wished he could be here for this, but with his body not ready to journey to the underworld…" the _ba_ of his mother sighed and shrugged slightly. "That is how things are."

"Mother… mother… why…?" Atem couldn't even begin to phrase his words.

His mother smiled, but it was sad. "Atem… Atem, my dear son… I have seen things that will happen in your life, and I just wanted to give you a mother's warning: never lose hope, and always know who you can trust. You are the Pharaoh and the gods support you, even if it doesn't appear to be that way. Someone will always be there to aid you, no matter what." She reached out and took his cheek in her hand again. "I love you my son. Live well and choose righteously, so that we may see each other again in the world beyond."

"I love you too Mother." Atem whispered in return.

She smiled, and the _ba_ vanished.

Isis stepped forward, and Atem returned the statue to her hand.

"Your mother is right, Atem." Amun said gravely. "You will face many challenges as Pharaoh, but we and your friends will keep you strong through them all. Now, listen well. We will each teach you what you need to know to send your father safely across the western horizon, but we cannot teach you all you need to know now. You will return here on each of our festival days, and that god or goddess will come speak to you and teach you more. Do you understand?"

Atem swallowed, and sat up straighter. "I understand Amun." He said in a strong voice.

Amun smiled in response. "Good. Now, listen well and remember what we teach you today…"

-0-

After only an hour, but what had felt like several days, the door to the inner chamber opened slowly. The High Priest quickly shook himself awake and helped open the door the rest of the way, bowing as the Pharaoh stepped by.

Atem was wearing the Double Crown, and clutching the Crook and Flail in strong fists. He stood up straight, and his eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly power.

The High Priest was awed, and quickly looked away before being struck down for looking directly at a god.

"This way, Pharaoh." He motioned back to the entrance of the temple. "Your people are waiting."

"Proceed."

The moment he walked outside in view of the kingdom, a head-splitting cheer erupted out of the people's mouths—it must surely have been heard by the gods.

Atem walked down the steps, flanked by the other Item holders and plenty of guards, and stepped back into the liter.

The procession again made its way back to the palace, and Atem stepped off, walked into the throne room, and took his seat for the first time as Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen II, Atem Se-Ra, Horus On Earth, Son of Osiris, and Ruler of the Two Lands.

* * *

Yay for really long names/titles! :D

I'm trying to keep this as close to Egyptian myth and belief as possible, and so that meant giving Atem a throne name. What better name to give him than his father's? ^^ also, Se-Ra translates to "Son of Ra". pretty much. .

Next time: Yami remembers nothing of his past life, and that includes the day-to-day occurrences and even his religion! Atena is determined to fix that. It's lesson time!

Leave a review please! ^^


	19. Lessons

Chapter 19

"Lessons"

_Aieko_

"What do you _mean_ you don't even remember who you worshiped?"

Atena was clearly flabbergasted. I was in my soul form floating to the side, laughing my head off. Yugi was doing his best to be polite to his other self, I could see, but he was chuckling also. Yami looked down, obviously embarrassed.

"When I told you I couldn't remember anything, I _meant_ that I couldn't remember _anything_." He mumbled.

"But our religion was part of your everyday life! You even talked to the gods themselves! How could you forget that?"

He simply shrugged.

Yugi and I had gotten into the habit of taking walks together every other day so we could give the two ancients some time to talk and walk together.

It was easy for us to tell that Yami wasn't all to comfortable with the idea of being married quite yet. He could still easily get rather nervous around Atena.

_No __matter __what __period __in __the __history __of __the __world __they__'__re __from, __every __boy __is __the __same. __They__'__re __either __nervous, __or __obnoxious. __I__'__m __almost __glad __he__'__s __one __of __the __nervous __ones._

"Well, surely you know at least _some_ things?" Atena continued. "I mean, there's ways to get so much information now, you must have done some research, right?"

"Ah… no, not quite. I've been rather… busy."

Atena rolled her eyes. "Busy playing children's card games…"

Yami scowled. "It's _not_ just a children's card game you know…"

I was laughing so hard that they had gotten several paces in front of me. Yugi stayed behind, grinning.

"They do argue like an old married couple." I noted to him, when I had gotten my breath back.

"That means they're getting more familiar with each other." He smiled back. "And that's what the end goal is here, isn't it?"

I nodded, and we started moving forward, but keeping some distance back, so they could feel like they were alone together.

"There are many gods that we worship, but the most important are the nine from the Ennead." Atena was telling Yami. "Amun, the god of the sun and creator of all things; his children Shu, god of the air, and Tefnut, goddess of moisture and rain; their children Geb, god of the earth, and Nut, goddess of the sky; and _their_ children, Osiris, god of the dead and the Underworld, Isis, goddess of magic, Set, god of the desert and darkness, and Nephthys, the protector-goddess and caretaker of the Pharaoh."

We listened to her describe other gods and goddesses, as well as their realms, festivals, and what the Pharaoh had to do with each one for a good long while.

"Do you think it's going to work?" I whispered to Yugi.

"Hm?" He had been paying attention to Atena.

"Do you think she's going to help him get his memories back?" I asked again, gesturing to the couple in front of us.

"Oh…" He looked at them, then looked back at me. "I'm… actually not sure." He whispered so quietly I had to lean forward to hear him. "I've been inside his soul room—it's a complete maze. She may be able to help a little bit, but I'm not sure if she can solve all his problems, as much as she wants to."

I watched them as he talked; Atena was very animated, and Yami was watching her with interest. "She won't like to hear that."

"I know." Yugi answered. "They're happy the way they are now, and I don't want to ruin that with depressing thoughts."

I glanced at him—his face was troubled—and looked forward.

"And then _whoosh!_ Horus threw the spear and it struck true, right into the side of his uncle Set! The god in hippopotamus form wailed and thrashed, but Horus held on, determined to claim his right to his father's throne!"

"She sure is passionate about the myths." Yugi noted.

I nodded. "Yeah. Huh, she's never told any to me before." We glanced at each other and shrugged. "Oh well."

"And from then on," Atena finished, "the reigning Pharaoh was known as Horus, set to reign on earth, while the Pharaoh before him—his father—was known as Osiris once he passed the Western Horizon."

Yami smiled and clapped quietly with gloved hands. Atena grinned brightly and gave him a curtsy.

-0-

"So, why haven't you told me any of your myths?"

Atena and I were finally home—the walk today had been longer than normal, and I noticed how cold my body was the moment I had possession of it again—and I was taking a shower.

"Well, you've never asked." She responded.

I rolled my eyes. "But you seem so passionate about them."

"Well, they were kind of force-fed to us as children. And I really do love hearing the stories about how the righteous gods and goddesses always prevail over evil."

I nodded, trying to keep the shampoo out of my eyes.

"Although…" she paused, sounding a little downcast, "I can't teach him everything he needs to know." I didn't have to guess as to who "he" was. "As Pharaoh, he would have learned things that no one else would have, and secrets that no one else would have been able to hold." I wiped the shampoo off my eyes and glanced at her shadowy form through the curtain. Her head was down, and she looked depressed.

_I __shouldn__'__t __tell __her __what __Yugi __thinks __about __Yami__'__s __memories. __It __would __only __depress __her __more._

"Well, that's not your fault." I replied. "There are some things like that that he's going to have to remember on his own."

Atena looked up. "You think he will?"

_Not __right __away_. My mind said. "He will." My mouth said.

_Yugi_

Yugi sighed, finally putting his pencil down and stretching his arms over his head. His homework was finally done! It always felt good to finish a day's worth of work.

He slipped his feet into his slippers and started gathering up all his stuff to put in his backpack for the next day.

_Only __a __couple __of __months __left, __then __school __will __be __out __and __I __can __focus __on __other __fun __things, __like __tournaments __and __such!_ He grinned as he put away his papers.

'Aibou.'

"Yes?" Yugi looked over to his bed. His other self was lying on the bed, his hands laced behind his head. "What's up?"

Yami kept his stare directed at the ceiling. "She isn't going to bring my memories back, is she." He said it as a statement, not a question.

"Ah…"

Yami turned over onto his side, propping his head up on his elbow, a slight smile on his face. "No matter how hard you try, you really can't hide your thoughts from me, you know."

A streak of red flashed across Yugi's face. "Well… ah…" he cleared his throat, "I don't know for sure, really. I just feel like… you need something more than just her side of the memories. Like… you need to re-live them for yourself or something."

"Hm…" He turned back to rest on his back. "I don't think she knows that."

Yugi thought back to what Aieko had told him earlier that day. "I don't think she does either."

The Spirit of the Pharaoh sighed. "I was afraid of that."

* * *

Yay for Thanksgiving and days off that I can use to write!

Truth be told, I'm actually very surprised at how long this has gotten. It's a lot longer than any of my other fics, and a bit more complicated too I think. . Well, let's see if I can make it with my original goal of finishing it during November. Ganbatte! :D

Next time! We move back to Egypt again to see how our young Pharaoh is doing. Exciting things are happening in the Royal Court!

Leave a review please! ^^


	20. Announcements

Chapter 20

"Announcements"

_Mana_

Master Mahado has been awfully worried lately… and stressed. It is affecting his magic, I can tell, but he doesn't want anyone else to know.

He is most worried about Pharaoh Atem. Already, there has been an attempt on his life, right after he helped his father to the next world. Atena is worried as well; there has even been an attempt on her life. They are both fine, of course, neither of them received a scratch, just a scare.

There is someone out there who wants the Royal Couple dead. I have made it my priority to strengthen my magic, so I can find this person and bring them to justice. Atem… Pharaoh and his Queen are my friends, and I do not like them feeling afraid in their own home. I will help my Master and relieve his stress so that he can feel happy and free once again.

Things here will get better. They have to. Right?

_Bakura_

Bakura stood on the crest of a hill, watching the workers below. The former Pharaoh had been buried several weeks ago, but now they were starting on a new tomb for the new Pharaoh.

He felt his lip curl. _Fools. __You __wouldn__'__t __be __so __obsessed __with __death __if __you __knew __it __like __I __do._

There were workers at the new tomb day in and day out, working around the clock to try to excavate the new tomb. It was a lot of work, carving out the stone, and setting up the traps and magic to guard the Pharaoh in his eternal rest.

He kept watching: the workers reminded him of the ants and termites that inhabited the nearby caves along with him. Always busy, always moving, never a time for rest. _Work, __work, __work, __so __the __Pharaoh __can __be __safe_.

At any rate, he could not enter any nearby tombs until there were less people around, and there would be once they started getting deeper into the tomb and had to use fewer workers to keep the secrets of the tomb safe. He could watch and wait patiently for that time. For now, he had a curse that he needed to figure out how to break.

He slid down the sand hill on his heels to where his dark horse stood waiting. He had managed to steal this one from a guard that had strayed too close to his cave. The guard's blood had darkened his cloak another shade, and he grinned tightly at the memory.

Leaping up onto his horse, he headed for the distant rock face to the south. He had been surprised to find the network of caves empty except for animals, considering how criminals were treated in the kingdom. Bakura shuddered as he remembered the first time he had seen the priests extract a person's _ka_ from them, sealing it into a giant stone slab. To lose part of your soul like that… he grit his teeth. He knew who the _real_ criminals were, and it wasn't those who stole to feed their families. He never found out why the caves were deserted, but he had a feeling it had to do with the distance from any water source.

He made it back after a long ride, and lead the horse over to the bucket he had stolen especially to hold large amounts of water. A black desert cat meandered up and brushed against his ankles, mewling. Bakura chuckled and reached down to scratch it behind the ears. He understood why the gods like to take the form of animals—they were so much preferable to people.

He took the saddle and bags off the horses back, taking two large sacks over to his pile of treasure waiting in the corner. The bags weren't that full this time around, but he smiled as he emptied the gold into the slowly growing pile. He would sell pieces every so often to religious fanatics who didn't know where the pieces came from. He made enough to keep himself and the animals who came to visit every so often comfortable.

Other thieves had heard of him and his stockpile, and had come to visit to take it for their own. Any time one of _them_ would visit, Bakura's coat would get a shade darker.

"None of them can steal from me…" He muttered, then stood, looking down on his pile, a small statuette in his hand. He looked at it closely, admiring the craftsmanship and tiny jewels inset into the gold. "And a king is decorated in gold, isn't he?" He directed the last sentence to the cat at his feet. "So, I guess that makes me a king of thieves, eh?"

He chuckled and threw the statuette into the pile.

_Atem_

"Mahado, please, stop worrying. I'm safe; the Puzzle alerts me whenever there is danger. I just want to know _who_ is behind all this!"

Atem was whispering to Mahado. Atem was kneeling next to Atena's bedside, and Mahado was standing at his shoulder. Atena had finally fallen into a fitful sleep; she had been sick ever since their father's funeral three weeks ago. Atem was worried about her—he had even considered going to the temple and asking Isis and Nephthys themselves for magical medical aid.

"I want to know what's wrong with her, and I want to know who is behind these plots." He whispered again. Mahado knelt at Atem's shoulder, to better hear him.

"We are trying as hard as we can, Pharaoh." He whispered back, feeling angry with himself. "We do know that the physical attempts are one person, and the shadow attacks are another, and we are relatively sure they are not working together. The one who attacks with the shadows want both you and the Queen dead; the one who works with other means wants you dead and the Queen with him."

Atem blinked, gently placing his hands on one of Atena's, stroking it softly. "That is true… I never noticed that." He whispered. "But who could each of these people be? And _why_ do they want us gone? Does it have something to do with my father? Or the way I am ruling the country?"

Mahado shook his head. "I don't know, my Pharaoh. I'm sorry."

Atem knelt, thinking and stroking Atena's hand. "That is all right. Let's deal with one thing at a time right now, and try to get Atena back to full health. It pains me to see her like this, and I think Mana is especially worried about her."

Mahado nodded. "She is."

They stayed that way for several minutes, until a servant came quietly knocking at the door.

"My Pharaoh, it is time for you to sit at court." The man said, bowing deeply.

Atem sighed and stood up, giving Atena's hand one more gentle squeeze. "Very well. I will be there shortly."

Sitting at court and listening to the grievances of the people had been a tradition that his father revived. For several hours every few days, he would sit and listen to the complaints or complements of the people, and try to solve any grievances they had. Atem didn't like the idea of sitting still and listening to people's petty arguments for four straight hours, but Mahado had convinced him that they may be able to sift a few clues about their attackers from the words of the people. And it certainly made the people feel as if their ruler cared about them.

On the days they didn't have these hearings, they had trials of criminals. Atem didn't like those that much either.

He sighed, and walked over to the door. "I know my way to the court." He said to the servant. "Will you please bring Mana in here so she may watch over the Queen?"

"As you wish Pharaoh." The man bowed deeper, and scurried off.

Atem and Mahado walked silently down the hallways until they were in the small antechamber behind the throne Atem would soon occupy.

"I don't know how Father did this." He whispered to Mahado. "He always seemed to genuinely care about the people."

"That's because he did." Mahado whispered back.

Atem paused, thinking hard about that statement, then walked out to go sit on the throne.

-0-

Atem wandered out of the court, his mind whirling. He was surprised to hear how many people living away from the center of the city were having problems with thievery. And it disturbed him even more when one of the guards had come up to whisper in his ear that another one of the tombs had been broken into.

He wondered if his father had to deal with things like this; he had never heard his father complain about all the work he had to do, so he would try his best to not complain as well. But it felt as if there were forces conspiring against him.

"Ateeeeeeem!"

"Eh?" He looked up and saw Mana flying through the air towards him. He had a moment of panic, and then she was on him, hugging him tightly with her arms and legs.

"Mana? Mana, what is going on? Can you get off me?"

She didn't hear his last request, and continued to hang on him like a monkey. "Atem, you won't believe what just happened!"

"What?"

"Guess, guess, guess!"

"Um…"

Mahado grabbed Mana under the arms and tickled her slightly to get her to let go. "Mana, you know it's rude to hang on the Pharaoh. He's not a tree."

Mana giggled like a child, grabbed both their hands and started pulling them down the hallway. "Come, come! Atena will have to tell you!"

Atem blinked and straightened up. "She's awake?"

Mana nodded vigorously. "Yes, she is; she's feeling a bit better now. The healers have been taking care of her since you were sitting in court and we finally found out why she wasn't feeling well. Come, come!"

Feeling suddenly awake, Atem started running down the hall, startling the others walking around at this time. Mahado rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly, running after the two.

As they got closer, Mana grabbed Atem's hand again and pulled him to a halt. He gave her a questioning look and she put her finger to her lips and winked, signaling for him to be quiet. Slowly, she opened the door and poked her head in. She exchanged some words with someone else standing at the door, then opened it a bit wider and gestured for Atem and Mahado to follow her in. They did, and Atem was at the bedside in a heartbeat, picking up his wife's hand with both of his own.

She looked over at him and smiled wearily. "I'm feeling better." She croaked, and he smiled and shook his head in response.

"I'm relieved you're awake." He said. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better than I was this morning." She answered, then motioned for him to come closer so she could whisper in his ear. As she told him what was ailing her, he froze, his eyes wide and unbelieving.

"Are you serious?" He asked her, and she nodded, smiling. He sat down hard on his heels, blinking slowly. "I don't… well… that explains a lot." He mumbled, clearly in shock.

Mahado was confused, and Mana was giggling silently, trying not to disturb them. Atem continued to sit for several minutes, and very slowly a smile spread over his face.

"What's going on?" Mahado whispered to Mana. She just giggled harder.

Suddenly, Atem jumped in the air, giving a big and un-regal-like whoop. "I'm going to be a father!" He shouted as he came back down to earth. "I don't believe it! This is wonderful Atena!" He dashed over to Mahado, who had suddenly understood and was laughing too. "Did you hear that Mahado?" Te Pharaoh said, gripping his friend by the shoulders. "I'm going to be a father!"

He paused suddenly, his eyes going wide. "Dear gods, I'm going to be a father." He looked at Mahado, panic in his eyes. "What do I do?"

"Well, you usually have to wait for the child to come." Atena smirked from the bed.

Atem glanced around at her. "Well… yes, but… yeah, I guess…"

The other three laughed, and the Pharaoh smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm a bit overexcited, huh?"

"A lot!" Mana shouted joyful, holding her sides because she was laughing so hard.

_Bakura_

The self-proclaimed Thief King was wandering through the market; his trademark red robe was in his horse's bag far back from the city, and he was wearing a simple kilt and shirt, with a wrap over his head to hide his bright white hair.

He was arguing with a merchant about the price of some ducks, when a loud thumping echoed rhythmically around the city.

"What that sound?" He asked the merchant, who was looking excitedly at the palace.

The man gave him an odd look. "That's the drums! The Pharaoh is coming to make an announcement!" He quickly traded a couple of ducks for the last offer Bakura had given him, putting the coins away in a pouch and closing up his stand, shooing him away.

Bakura got swept up in the crowd heading toward the palace. He frowned, putting his ducks in his bag, knowing better than to try to fight against the crowd—he'd seen people make that same mistake, only to be trampled—and hoping that they wouldn't get too close to the palace walls.

Luckily, the crowd bearing him stopped within hearing distance, but far enough away from the walls that the curse didn't make him sick.

The drums continued for several moments, then suddenly stopped. The crowd waited with bated breath; Bakura could feel the excited tension in the air. Then the curtains leading to the large balcony were parted, and the Pharaoh stepped out onto the balcony, and everybody erupted into cheers around him.

Bakura grimaced, wanting to cover his ears, but not stand out at the same time, so he settled with directing a heavy glare at the Pharaoh on the balcony.

Pharaoh held out a hand, smiling at the people, and they quieted instantly.

"My people! I have an announcement of the greatest sort!" He shouted, and pages along the city echoed his pronouncement so that everybody would have a chance to hear the Pharaoh's words. "Today is a great day of celebration, for my Queen and I are expecting an heir!"

Shouts and loud cheered rang out in stages as each page echoed the announcement, and soon the whole city was shouting for joy. All but one.

Bakura stood in shock, not paying attention to the people jostling him. _Atena __is __with __child__… __she__… __she __is__… __she __is __completely __his __now__…_ He scrunched his eyes shut, and squashed the feeling of pain, instead letting anger fuel his _ka_. When he opened his eyes, they were furious. He felt something simmering in his soul, wanting to be released and wreak havoc on the city.

He glared at the Pharaoh, red tingeing the edge of his vision. He saw one of the other Item holders—the one with the Ring—come up behind the Pharaoh and whisper in his ear. He was holding the Ring, and one of the points was glowing and pointing out in the crowd. Bakura couldn't be sure—he was too far away—but it looked as though it was pointing at him.

The Pharaoh was searching the crowd; Bakura was sure he was looking for the tell-tale white hair. The priest whispered to him again, this time it looked more urgently, and Pharaoh waved and smiled at the crowd once again, then retreated into the palace.

Bakura's lips pulled back into a grimace. _That__'__s __right; __go __run __and __hide __behind __your __walls __of __stone. __That __won__'__t __protect __you __in __the __end._

The crowd was still shouting joyfully; he decided to take his chances and pushed against the people, slowly making his way back to his horse. He hadn't gotten everything he needed, but he didn't care. He just needed to get away from the palace and all the people and just be by himself for a while. He needed to think, in the quiet, without all the shouting. Then, maybe, he could sort all his feelings out.

* * *

Aw yeah. Expect lots of chapters soon. Maybe I'll actually finish this fic before the month is out! *crosses fingers*

Next time! We'll be in the past for one of the last times. Bring your tissues.

Leave a review please!


	21. Scars

Chapter 21

"Scars"

_Bakura_

"Are you sure this is going to work, old man?"

The wizened ex-priest gave Bakura a hard look. "It will if you stop insulting me, boy."

Bakura swallowed his next sentence and simply nodded. He had spent precious weeks hunting down sorcerers and others who could possibly break the curse Atena had placed on him, and months recovering from the crackpot formulas they gave him. The one that had caused Bakura to be bedridden for two weeks with horrible stomach cramps and purple vomit had dyed his red coat another shade darker. While he languished away in bed, Atena was getting more and more pregnant—he had to see her before she gave birth. He didn't know why, he just felt he did. He didn't want another method that would sicken him; he had come to this ex-priest on the word of a young boy living at the edge of the city—someone who had no reason to lie to him, so Bakura found himself in the dark, smelly hut of a former priest of Set who looked as though a simple touch would make his body flake entirely away.

The old man gave Bakura one more withering look, then turned back to his clay pot. Bakura had only seen half of what had gone in, and he was starting to feel his stomach churn. He was supposed to drink this? He frowned at the thick paste. Perhaps he was supposed to eat it instead…

The man dug through another pot, this one full of hairs from what looked like different animals, and threw in five or six different hairs. Bakura couldn't suppress a shudder.

"Undoing a royal curse is not an easy thing boy." The ex-priest said without looking up from his stirring. "These are hairs from holy animals that will help you. Be sure to eat every drop."

"If you say so." Bakura said through clenched teeth.

The old man began chanting, stirring this way and that, and adding a couple more ingredients. The concoction eventually turned into a thick paste and turned into the color of raw meat.

_Delicious_. Bakura did his best to not pull a face. Oddly, the contents of the pot were giving off the odor of freshly cut wood.

Still chanting, the old man picked up a rub stone and began to slowly grind and mix ink. Just as slowly, he began to write specific symbols on the pot. Bakura only recognized a couple, but they were sacred and forbidden ones. As the ex-priest continued chanting, he set aside the rub stone and picked up the pot with both hands, gently swirling it around. The mixture flashed suddenly, and a small amount of fog rolled out of the pot. The color had changed and looked more like fetid meat. Bakura swallowed, trying to moisten his suddenly dry mouth.

The old man looked up, his eyes glazed over with blue, his gaze locking onto Bakura's. "Repeat after me." His voice had an odd echo-y sound to it. He started chanting slowly, a phrase at a time, making sure Bakura said it all correctly.

As he spoke, the self-proclaimed Thief King felt his body become heavier, as though all the gold he had stolen was tied over every inch of his body. At one point, the ex-priest gave him the pot, indicating that Bakura should drink it. He hesitated, the chanting ringing in his ears, then he closed his eyes and took a swallow, trying not to think about what was in the mixture. It tasted like a medley of fruit, delicious but with a back hint of rotten and bad fruit.

The ex-priest continued to chant, watching Bakura closely.

With each swallow, he felt a part of his body lighten. It was a pleasant feeling, so he didn't have to work too hard to get down most of the thick mix. Soon, all that was left was his heart, which was beating slow and dully in his chest. He put the pot down and reached in, scooping up the last of the mixture with his fingers. When he swallowed that, the wonderful feeling of weightlessness covered his body, and he wanted to stay in that state forever.

The old man clapped once, loudly, startling Bakura and dispelling the weightless feeling. The old man's eyes had returned to normal, and he was squinting at Bakura, his hand outstretched. Bakura, miffed at being taken so suddenly from his new happy place, gave him an odd look.

"You felt the feeling of nothing, correct? A wonderful and happy feeling, correct?"

Bakura nodded, his white hair shaking with the movement.

"One royal curse broken. You pay me in gold now, boy."

Bakura sneered, feeling like his old self again. It was magnificent. "Very well." He reached in his sack that was sitting behind him and pulled out a pair of golden sandals he had taken from one of the tombs, and threw them at the old man's feet. "Don't spend it all in one place old man."

He stood up, swung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for his horse. He heard a cry of horror echo from the little hut he had just left. _Interesting._ He thought. _That old priest had no qualms about spilling sacred secrets and using incantations where they shouldn't be, but give him something from a tomb and he becomes like everyone else here._

As he walked, his face split into a grin, and a loud laugh burst out of his mouth, starling his horse slightly.

_I think it's time I paid someone a little visit… it's time to finish what I've been trying to do since the wedding. Except this time, I won't miss._

-0-

_Odd. They must have increased the number of guards._

Once again, Bakura was bare-chested, his head covered and his red coat left with his horse. He was carrying a large bundle of reeds (into which he had slipped a dagger, just in case) and walk walking around the edge of the palace grounds. So far, he hadn't felt a twinge of the curse yet—that was a good sign—but the increased number of guards standing around was not good. They were even guarding the spot he had used to sneak in last time. His lip pulled back in disgust. Atena must have told them about that—she was the one who had told him about it.

_There must be another way in._ He thought, setting his bundle down and sitting down across the way from the Queen's gardens. He wiped the sweat off his forehead—the day was too hot—and sat and watched. Guards would wander by and pause every so often, enough that he didn't feel comfortable making a dash and hiding in the plants. Servants would also wander by and take care of the plants. He thought he even saw a large group surrounding someone back closer to the actual palace, but he was too far away to tell who it was.

A girl in white with dark brown hair suddenly came flying down the street, nearly trampling Bakura and sending his bundle flying everywhere. Bakura jumped onto it, grabbing the dagger that had been hidden in it and tucking it inside his kilt.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She screeched to a halt and jogged back, looking embarrassed. She knelt down and started to help him gather the reeds up. "Master is always scolding me for not paying attention when I'm in a hurry!" She grinned up at him, blushing a little bit.

"Your master huh?" Bakura replied more politely than he felt. "Where were you in such a rush to?"

"Master asked me to help the nurses attending to the Queen." The girl replied, her blush disappearing and her smile brightening. "They asked me to get this special ingredient for a medicine for the Queen. She's been feeling rather weak."

Bakura didn't have to feign shock. "Oh! Well, I feel lucky! Being helped by one who has been in the presence of the Queen!"

She smiled, holding the rope in place so he could tie it in a knot. "Well, I'm not royal at all, just a practicing court magician… I'm not that good a magic yet…"

Bakura picked up the bundle and swung it onto his shoulder. "What are you looking for?"

"A certain type of reed that only grows along the riverbank." She frowned, furrowing her eyebrows. "I can't remember what it's called right now…"

"Would you like some help?" Bakura grinned good-naturedly, swallowing his eagerness. He pat the bundle of reeds. "I know plants along the river pretty well, and I'm sure I could help you find the best one."

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, could you? That would be wonderful!"

"Of course. Anything to help the Queen." Bakura gave a slight bow to allow himself time for a quick, tight smile. "Anything at all."

As they walked to the river, the girl introduced herself as Mana, an apprentice magician to the priest and Ring bearer Mahado. She was apparently good friends with both the Pharaoh and his Queen, and Bakura couldn't believe the luck he had in meeting her. She was young, and easily trusted him too, when he told her that his name was, simply, Kura.

When they got to the river, they were able to locate the correct plant—Bakura had used it numerous time to heal himself whenever he was injured in a tomb or some other fight—and they made their way back to the palace, Mana happily holding the precious plant in a small sack.

"Mana," Bakura casually asked as they started getting back into the city, "do you think… well, I don't know, it seems like such a big thing to ask…"

Mana's curiosity was piqued, he could tell. "What is it Kura?"

He caught a frown and put a slightly hopeful expression in its place. The girl reminded him of Atena, when she was that age. She had been just as carefree and innocent and trusting…

"Well… I was wondering… do you think, maybe, I could come with you and meet the Queen? You see, I have a young daughter back home who admires her greatly," he quickly fibbed, "and it would mean the world to her if I could go meet the Queen."

_Are you naïve enough to believe me girl?_

Mana was looking thoughtful. "Well… I'm sure Master wouldn't like it, and neither would Seto—but he doesn't like anything I do." She giggled nervously. "You know what? Yes, I'll take you in to meet Ate—the Queen! You helped me find this plant, after all, and it's going to help her get better! I'm sure she'd love to meet you!"

_Perfect_. Bakura smiled happily. "Thank you Mana! My daughter is going to be so happy when she hears about this!"

It took the guards at the gate a little bit of convincing, but Bakura looked humble enough, and Mana used the right names, and they let him in. Bakura held his breath as he stepped through the gates, but no part of the curse remained. _What do you know? The old man's potion worked._

In the palace, Bakura was careful to keep his dead giveaway hair tucked under the wrap on his head and his eyes on the ground. He used the bundle of reeds to hide his face from anyone who might possibly have recognized him (the chance was low, but it was a chance he wasn't willing to take). He followed Mana, who would skip ahead several steps, then turn back and gesture impatiently to him.

"Come on! Let's get there before Atena falls asleep or something!"

"I'm sorry." Bakura smiled apologetically, glancing around. "I've just never been here, and I want to tell my daughter about everything I saw. I'm sure it's not every day that someone like me walks through these halls!" In truth, he had been memorizing the hallways and the placements of the guards, in case he needed to make a hasty exit.

Mana giggled, then surprised him by grabbing the hand that wasn't supporting his reed bundle. "You can look on your way out! Let's go!"

They finally reached the Queen's wing of the palace, and were standing outside two large wooden doors. Bakura took in the detail with awe while Mana talked to the guards; the doors were a beautiful work of craftsmanship.

"Wait right here Kura," Mana said, turning to the thief, "I'm going to see if the Queen's awake. She slipped inside the doors, leaving Bakura with the two guards.

The guard closest to Bakura coughed. "You there."

"Ah, yes… sir?"

"The Queen is very sensitive to what goes in her room at the moment. You'll have to leave your bundle here."

"Ah. I see sir, thank you for telling me."

He scurried over to the corner behind the guard and laid his bundle down, just as he was straightening up, a large figure came around the corner, surprising Bakura and barreling him over.

Rage flashed in Bakura. _That's the second time someone's nearly run me over today!_

He aimed a glare up at the person and just as quickly lowered his gaze, rubbing his chest. The Priest Seto was standing over him, clutching the Rod and brushing tiny fragments of reeds off his shirt.

"What is _this_ doing outside the Queen's bedroom?" He shouted. The guard made panicked motions at him, and Seto lowered his voice. "How did he get in here?"

The guard glanced down at Bakura, who was doing his best at playing the 'humble peasant' role, and hating himself for it. "He came in with apprentice Mana, Priest. He supplied her with a plant that is supposed to help heal the Queen, and she brought him to meet her."

Bakura glanced up at the priest under the edge of his head wrap, doing his best to skewer Seto with his glare and not get caught. He could feel the heat of Seto's own stare threatening to burn a hole in the top of his wrap.

"Humph. I don't think the Queen is well enough to receive un-welcome visitors right now."

"Actually, she said she'd love to meet him."

Bakura turned in surprise. The new voice belonged to Mana; she had just come out of Atena's bedroom. Her arms were folded and she was giving Priest Seto her own glare, even though he towered a good two heads over her.

Seto's lip curled back. "Very well. As the Queen wishes. But I insist on coming in to make sure those amateur priests administer the medicine correctly."

"You'd better hurry in then." Mana smirked.

Seto threw a glare at her and one more in Bakura's direction, and passed through the doorway with a loud _whip_ of his cape.

"Are you alright?" Mana knelt next to Bakura, who still had a hand on his bare chest, rubbing the spot where Seto's elbow had impacted.

"Yeah." He coughed. "I was just surprised. Today seems to be the day to run Kura over, I think." He winked at Mana, who blushed slightly. "Did you say the Queen wants to see me?" Mana nodded. "Really?" She nodded harder, smiling again.

Bakura hesitated before he stood up. _Do I really want to see her? What will happen? The last time I saw her up close… has it been over a year now?_ The thought was disturbing to him.

"Come on." Mana tugged at Bakura's elbow. "Don't worry about Seto; he's mean to everyone. But Queen Atena is nice. She'll make you smile."

"I'm sure she will." Bakura said. Mana didn't hear the deeply hidden undertone.

The guard who hadn't spoken during the whole exchange opened the door for the two of them. Mana skipped in; Bakura kept the humble peasant role and walked in, bent at the waist. She would only be able to see the top of his head and his bare back.

"Well Mana, who is this?"

The voice stopped his heart. It was hers, though strained with illness and layered with regality. She was a properly trained Queen now, albeit one who was ill.

"This is Kura, Atena. He's the one who helped me find the plant to make you all feel better!"

"That was very kind of you, Kura."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Bakura whispered, his voice sounding different to his ears.

He heard a whisper of linen; Atena must have made a gesture to Mana, because the young girl grabbed Bakura's elbow and pulled him closer. Soon, he was kneeling beside a large bed. It must be Atena's, from what he could see if it—it was made of imported wood, and there were intricate designs carved into it, including a cartouche with her name and full title.

"Don't be shy, she's very nice." Mana whispered to him.

_I know._ Bakura thought. _Believe me, I know._

"How are you feeling, Your Highness?" Bakura asked, sneaking a glimpse under the bottom of his head wrap. He saw Atena's arm—the skin looked pale under the indelible years of being outside in the sun, and her belly was swollen to almost full term. Bakura was shocked. That much time had passed already?

"I've felt better." He could hear the smile in her voice. "This pregnancy has not been kind to me."

"I am… sorry to hear that, Your Highness."

"The Queen needs her rest now." Seto loudly interrupted, causing Atena and Bakura to wince. "You may leave now, peasant."

"Seto! Be kind to our guest! His name is Kura." She paused, and he could almost sense her question and wondering. "Kura…" She whispered. He heard the frown in her voice this time.

"The Priest is right; you need your rest. It was very nice to meet you," he glanced up, met her eye, and grinned, "Your Highness."

Her face was pale, and she had deep bags under her eyes. Her other arm had been resting on her belly, and her eyes went wide as she recognized the face. "Oh my gods… Bakura!"

"Hello Atena."

There was a frozen moment where he grinned wickedly at her, and the color visibly drained out of her face. Then, lots of things started happening at once.

Two Millennium Items glowed fiercely, and two _ka_-monsters suddenly shimmered into the room—one was a black snake-like dragon, and the other was the familiar fairy with six wings. Atena's Wingweaver lowered to the bed, wrapping four of her six wings around the girl—only her eyes could be seen through the feathers. Servants and the nurses started screaming, and Mana fell back on her behind, her eyes wide and shocked.

Bakura jumped backwards, dodging the bite from the dragon, and pulled his dagger out of his kilt's waistband as he took off. He burst through the large doors, startling the guards on the other side, who were just starting to open them to see what was going on.

"GET BACK HERE THIEF!" Seto roared furiously, giving chase.

_Not going to happen, _thought Bakura.

He felt a puff of air behind him, and fell flat on his face to dodge another jump from the dragon. It went skidding down the hallway; Bakura picked himself up and dashed down an adjoining hallway. He was panting, from running down the long hallways, but his face was twisted in a manic grin: he was enjoying this.

He turned down another, thinner corridor, hoping that his sudden movements might throw the priest off. He turned left, then right, then right again, and found himself in the main hallway leading to the throne room. He paused, confused for a moment, and Seto ran in from another doorway.

"_I'll have your head thief!_" He shouted, dashing across the room.

Bakura took a moment to look around, pulling out and unsheathing his dagger as he did so, throwing the sheath away. Seto noticed the weapon and smirked; Bakura made a decision and ran back the direction he had come from.

A bright yellow light flashed from behind him, and the door slammed shut in front of him, as well as the adjoining ones. He spun around; the only doors left open were right behind Seto.

The priest was holding out the Rod. He put his other hand on it, and pulled the two halves away from each other. To Bakura's surprise, they came apart, and Seto had a dagger of his own.

"That's new." He commented, then brought his own dagger up to block the sudden strike. Seto was faster than he anticipated, and this worried him. They traded blows and dodged, Bakura managing to tear several gashes in Seto's cloak, and the priest ripped Bakura's head wrap, narrowly missing the left side of his face.

Bakura growled, jumping back. He grabbed the head wrap and threw it off, and Seto did the same with his cloak.

"What's going on here?"

Bakura turned; the door over by his left shoulder had opened, and who should walk in but the Pharaoh himself. A sneer crawled across Bakura's face as he watched the Pharaoh's emotions go from confusion to shock to rage.

"BAKURA!" The Pharaoh shouted.

The Thief King replied with a sneer. "Hello, Pharaoh!"

Seto took the opportunity of Bakura's distraction and struck. Bakura cried out, falling back several steps, feeling fire on his face where the dagger cut. Seto didn't let up, striking twice more on Bakura's cheek before he managed to get away.

Bakura pressed his hand to his right cheek, flesh stinging and blood oozing rather quickly out between his fingers. _Time to retreat and fight another day._

He backed away so that his back was to the open door. Atem and Seto advanced on him, Items flashing just as angrily as their eyes. Bakura felt a familiar rage building up in his chest, and this time he concentrated it instead of holding it back.

"It is time for me to depart Pharaoh, although I _would_ love to stay and try to finish the job I've started and kill you." He grinned mockingly over at Atem. "The next time you see me, I will make sure the meeting ends in your misery!"

He let the rage burst out of him, and a large black shape flew towards the startled Item holders. Bakura gave it a curious, but quick glance, and realized with a start that that was probably his own _ka _-monster.

_Excellent_.

He took off running while they were distracted by his monster, pulling it back to his soul once he reached the gardens and jumped over the low wall. His hand stayed pressed against his face the whole time, trying to stop the bleeding, and he didn't stop running until he reached his horse, spurring it on as fast as he could towards his caves.

* * *

BAM. Longest chapter yet.

Bakura is awesome. That's all. XD

Next time! Yeah, you'll defiantly want your tissues. _This_ next one should be the last in Egypt

Leave a review please! ^^


	22. Loss and Gain

Chapter 22

"Loss and Gain"

_Atem_

"Oh gods no… that is the _last_ thing she needed."

Atem was standing in the door way of his wife's bedroom, staring at the _ka _-monster that was protecting her and damning her at the same time.

One of the nurses came running up, hands fluttering anxiously. "Pharaoh, is there a way to call the _ka_ back? The Queen doesn't have strength for this!"

Atem nodded, swallowed, and cupped his hand around the Puzzle. The glowed, and the Wingweaver narrowed her eyes in response, but she bowed her head and retreated, leaving Atena pale and shaking on the bed. Atem was at her side in an instant.

"Atena. Atena! Speak to me!"

For the longest moment, she didn't move, then she suddenly sucked in a great gasp of air. Her eyes flew open and she looked around wildly. Atem grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug, then he gently laid her down on the bed.

"Atem! Bakura! He's here!"

"I know." Atem said gently, putting a firm hand on her shoulder. "We almost had him. But you shouldn't worry or even think about him right now Atena. You have to focus on staying well for our child."

Her eyes filled with a quiet panic, and she grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly, closing her eyes and breathing slowly.

"You're… right." She said in between breaths. After several more, she opened her eyes. "I'm sorry Atem, I don't know how… how I was able to summon her."

"Panic, my Queen." Seto answered her. "You felt threatened, and so your magic automatically rose up to protect you in the best way it knew how."

"The most tiring way too." Atena added, leaning back. Her eyelids drooped. "Atem, if I sleep, will you stay with me?"

"Of course." He answered automatically. "I will be right here as you sleep and I will be right here when you wake."

She smiled tiredly, one hand held by her husband's, the other gently rubbing her belly. She felt a light touch from the child in her and sighed. "Good." She said, then closed her eyes.

Atem waited until he was sure she was asleep, then beckoned over his shoulder. The nurse rushed to his side at once. "Why?" was the only word he said.

The nurse, who was old and experienced in the matters of women, knew what he was asking. "Each woman deals with pregnancy different ways, my Pharaoh. There are some who have it very easy, and others who have it even worse than Queen Atena, though I must admit, I have not seen very many much worse than she."

Atem nodded gravely, and didn't say anything.

"I don't know why that is, Pharaoh," she continued, "but we will try our very hardest to work and make sure the Queen and the baby are safe and well."

"Thank you." He said, then waved his hand. The nurse bowed and backed away.

-0-

Atem was starting to doze off where he sat when Atena woke with a gasp.

"What is it?"

She clutched at her belly. "I think… the baby's coming."

Pandemonium.

Nurses pushed Atem away, who was just as quickly pulled back by Atena's command. Women were flying around the room, gathering armfuls of all sorts of things. Guard were sent away with shouted orders to bring the statue of the goddess Hathor in as quickly as possible.

"Goddess of childbirth." Atena responded to Atem question. "She… she should be able to help me… argh!" She nearly doubled up with the pain and was just as quickly laid out flat by female attendants. The head nurse grabbed Atem by the shoulder and hissed in his ear.

"She needs to regulate her breathing; you help her with that!"

Atem was not used to taking orders—he was usually the one to give them—but here, there was no question as to who knew what was going on. He coaxed Atena to breath by counting out a regular "one, two, in, out."

Several statues of the goddess were brought in, as well as their respective priestesses, who came and stood at the head of the bed, chanting quietly in time with Atena's breathing. The birthing chair was also brought in, but sat in a corner, as Atena didn't have the strength to stand. Every time a wave of labor pains overtook her, she squeezed Atem's hand until he was sure she was going to break all his fingers off. He switched hands between every squeeze.

This went on for hours, long into the night. Atena was sweating, and she looked more exhausted than ever. "It hurts… like nothing you could imagine." She told him as he was massaging feeling back into his fingers after she squeezed his hand.

Finally, the head nurse called the head priestess over, and together, they stood at the foot of the bed. "Ok, now push!" Atena obeyed, and Atem could see the nurse grabbing between her legs, trying to gently coax something out. The priestess kept chanting and praying, helping where the nurse asked her to.

"Push again!"

"Ahh!"

"Ouch!"

Something cracked in Atem's hand. It didn't feel broken, luckily, but it had hurt. "You've got a powerful grip Atena." He said, wincing as he switched hands again, stroking the back of her head with the other.

"Push my Queen!"

Atena bit her lip and choked back a scream. She pushed again; Atem looked up and saw the priestess hand the nurse a pair of scissors. He heard a sickening _snip_, a tiny breath, and the unmistakable cry of a baby.

The nurse looked up at him and smiled. She handed the baby to the priestess, who wrapped it in a long sheet of linen, and turned back to Atena, looking anxious. Atem didn't notice: his eyes were fixed on their child.

The priestess took the child over to a table, wiped the blood off, and wrapped it in a fresh sheet of linen. She picked it up gently and walked over to the royal couple.

"Congratulations my Queen, Pharaoh. You have a daughter."

The baby fussed, letting out mewling cries every few seconds. Atem reached out and took her from the priestess arms; out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sun slip up over the edge of the distant horizon. Atena had been in labor all night long.

"Atena, my love, look! We have a daughter!" He turned to her, and she smiled back tiredly.

"Let me… hold… her." Her voice was shaking, as were her hands when she held them out. Atem's smile dropped.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head. "Let me hold her." She spoke in a tone that scared Atem down to his core. A tone of resignation and finality. He gently place their daughter in her shaking arms, and she held the babe close. Slowly, she reached up and stroked a strand of black hair off the baby's forehead.

"Isis." She said. "You are… Isis." She placed two fingers on the child's forehead, and those same two fingers on the Tauk. "Named after the goddess, for you will be strong in magic." She frowned. "But I do not know what will happen to you. I cannot see your future my daughter." She sighed, and Atem put his hand around her. "I think I know why."

Atem looked up at the nurse. She stood up, her arms covered in blood and other things up to the elbows. She was shaking her head and crying. Atem felt his stomach fall to his feet.

"Atena… no. No! Atena, don't tell me…"

She looked up at him. She was crying also. "Atem, I can feel my life spirit slipping away… Atem…" She took his hand in her free one. "It hurts."

He bent over and embraced her and Isis, biting his lip to keep his own tears from falling. He could feel Atena gently stroking the back of his head.

"Here. Remember this moment. We are a family, and we will be together again beyond the Western Horizon."

Atem leaned back; his wife was looking at little Isis. "Atem… I'm scared. I don't know what will happen to me, or you, or her. But please." She looked up at him, and he wiped her tears away. "Please, don't let her get caught up in the spoiled life of a princess. Have her become a priestess of the goddess she's named for." She coughed, jolting the baby, who started crying softly. "Shh… be still my little one. Father will take care of you." She handed him to Atem, who took the baby and could no longer hold back his tears. She reached her shaky hands up and slowly removed the Tauk, setting it on top of the linen blanket wrapped around Isis. It glowed briefly, and seemed to settle in its place.

"Atena… Atena, no! No, you can't leave me!" Atem nearly shouted, grabbing her hand. "Please, please, don't leave me! I can't… I just can't…"

The nurse walked up, wiping her hands on a different piece of linen, and placed a hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder. "I've done all that I can Pharaoh. I'm so sorry." Her voice was odd—it sounded like she was speaking around a lump in her throat.

"Thank you for delivering our daughter safely." Atena spoke to the nurse. "The gods and goddesses will bless you for your good work."

More tears spilled over the edges of the nurse's eyes, and she bowed deeply. "You are very kind, my Queen, and the best person I know."

Atena smiled, then looked up at Atem. "Hold me, please. I don't want to pass without feeling your arms around me one last time." Atem obliged, holding in each arm the two most important females in his life. "When you… hold me…" Atena whispered, her eyes slowly closing shut, "I'm not… afraid… of… the future… I can't… see…"

Atem leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. "I will make sure," he whispered, trying to keep his voice strong and steady, "that you have everything you need to pass safely and swiftly. I love you."

Atena looked up at him and smiled, then closed her eyes. "I love you too. I will… see you… on the other… side."

Her head fell limply against Atem's shoulder; Isis started crying again. Hers was the only cry that rang out, alongside her father's. No one else made a whimper, but nobody moved, save for the tears dropping to the floor.

The Pharaoh held on to his wife and daughter and cried, and the people let him mourn.

-0-

Long after the room was clean, little Isis had finally fallen asleep in her father's arms. The royal embalmer entered the room and waited for the Pharaoh to stand. He placed a comforting hand on the Pharaoh's shoulder, motioning for his assistants to be as gentle and as quiet as possible.

Atem placed one last kiss on Atena's forehead, then he stood and walked out, gently rocking Isis in his arms. A small gathering of wet nurses followed him at a distance as he wandered around the halls. He felt lost, and as if a giant hole was in his chest. But he felt the warm body of his daughter sleeping there, and he felt a little bit better.

Eventually, his wanderings lead him to his own room—the one his father had previously occupied. He closed the door, motioning to everyone that he wished to be left alone, and stood in the middle of the room, holding Isis close.

"Father…" he spoke out loud. "Mother… take care of Atena until I am able to join her. I hope you both are rejoicing. You have a granddaughter." He walked onto the balcony, feeling the sun warm his face. Isis stirred happily in his arms, turning her little head towards the warmth. Atem smiled at her.

"Yes little one. The god's warm light will always be there to warm you and light your way." Atem stroked her black hair. "You will become a priestess, but you will stay here in the palace; I will watch you grow up and become a strong Item bearer."

He leaned down and kissed the tiny forehead, rubbing his cheek against her soft one. "Become strong and righteous, like your mother."

* * *

*hands out the tissue boxes* Poor Atem. And we all know what is going to happen in the end (if you don't know, go read [don't watch] Yu-Gi-Oh!: Millennium World) I realize that Isis most likely isn't Atem's daughter, but I like how this ended up.

Also, I passed 25k words with this chapter! :D WOOT

Next time! Back to the present, and there we will stay for the rest of the story

Leave a review please! ^^


	23. And Life Moves On

Chapter 23

"And Life Moves On"

_Aieko_

"Well… what's death like?"

Atena gave me a weird look. I shrugged. "Just curious. I mean, don't we all wonder about that."

She looked away, scanning my bookshelves. "I didn't think about it much. Well, much more than I had to." The corners of her mouth tightened slightly. "Egypt was obsessed with death, and it was always all around us. I was young, and didn't want to think about not being able to reign for many years with At—_gak_." She coughed. "Blasted seal…" She muttered, rubbing at her throat.

I glanced up from my homework and raised an eyebrow at her. "You didn't answer my question."

She sighed. "I don't remember death, actually. I just remember slipping away, then wandering the halls of my memories shortly before I met you."

"Hm." I said, turning back to my desk.

Atena was quiet while I finished my homework; I could vaguely sense her musings, but she kept her thoughts distant.

"Ah! There!" I threw down my pen, stretching my arms over my head. "Now the only thing I have to worry about is finals! Oooohhh…" I collapsed on my desk, moaning and covering my head with my arms. "Finals… ugh."

"Unpleasant?"

"You have no idea."

-0-

The days were starting to get nice and warm, but we, as students, were forced to stay inside, studying our brains out. More than one of the students in my class had a nervous breakdown. Stress was high throughout the school, but none so much as the Year 3 rooms—graduation was coming, and with it, college applications. I overheard many of my classmates talking about where their parents wanted them to attend. Some bemoaned their fate. Others celebrated; they didn't care to move on, and were going to be done once they graduated here.

I was starting to feel the stress too, and Atena took to reminding me to relax every day, so my head wouldn't explode or something.

Testing started, and an eerie stillness descended over Domino High; it reminded me of a ghost town a little bit, at least until the bells rang, when activity exploded all over the building.

"Oh, _man_, that last one was a _killer!_" Jonouchi complained, stretching his arms over his head. "And we've still got four more to go!"

Anzu giggled. "Did you study at all, Jonouchi?"

He glanced to the side. "Well… not really."

The whole group burst into quiet laughter. "That'll be why!"

I glanced over at Yugi, who had been quiet the whole time; his chin was resting in his hand and he was looking out the window. I slid over to him and poked him in the shoulder. "You alright? You seem kind of out of it this morning."

He nodded and smiled slightly. "Just thinking about summer break."

"People don't usually look so gloomy when they think of summer break you know."

He chuckled quietly. "Did I look gloomy?" He glanced down, and cupped the Puzzle in one hand. "We're going to Egypt this summer." He said. "We're going to get his memories back. I don't know what's going to happen."

Jonouchi stepped beside me and laid a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Stop worrying about it Yug. We'll have a great time there!"

Yugi brightened immediately. _His __friends __have __this __interesting __effect __on __him. __He __really __cares __for __them._

"You're right!" Yugi smiled. "It'll be fun to look around and see everything as well! Maybe we'll run into some old friends."

"Malik?" Jonouchi sat down on top of Yugi's desk. "You know, I'm still not sure how I feel about that guy…"

The door slid open, and another teacher walked in, carrying a large stack of papers.

"Oh man…" Jonouchi and Honda moaned together. "Not math…"

-0-

At the end of the day, all the students in the school wandered out slowly. Many were comparing answers with their classmates, several were clutching their heads in painful post-test agony, and others had their noses in their notes, getting a head start on cramming for tomorrow's tests. I was one of the ones clutching my head, along with Jonouchi and Honda. Anzu and Yugi had taken to relaxing and giggling.

"Ah, be quiet." Jonouchi was saying to them. "I'll just be glad when it's all finally over."

"At least it's all in your _native_ language." I groused. Even after studying for several years, Japanese had always been hard for me, along with any other foreign language.

"You're doing a good job Aieko." Anzu fell into step beside me. "There aren't many students here who would want to take tests like this in anything but their native language."

I smiled at her. "Thanks."

'You have one more day of all this?'

I paused before responding to make sure I didn't answer the mental question out loud—people tend to give you strange looks when it appears that you're talking to yourself… or an imaginary friend.

'Yeah; it doesn't seem that fun, does it?'

Atena shook her head. 'Not at all.'

I stifled a sarcastic laugh. 'That's because it's not.'

We all got on board the bus, and separated as we reached or respective stops. Eventually, of the group, Bakura and I were the last ones left.

"I know what you mean about testing in your native language." Bakura whispered to me in English. "I've been going to school here for years and I still have a problem with the language!"

I smiled, relieved, at him. "I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels that way."

We reached our stop and got off, wandering across the street to our complex.

"Oh, I finally finished that book you gave me." Bakura tapped the side of his bag. "Do you mind if I switch it for a new one?"

"Sure! Let's go up and get it now."

"That would be wonderful."

I felt Atena tense as we got closer to my apartment. No doubt she was remembering what happened the last time Bakura came over.

He was smiling and chatting with me, but I noticed he stealthily grabbed at his chest when I turned to unlock my door.

_Is__he__still__wearing__the__Ring?_ I wondered, glancing at him through my hair. _I __hope __the __other __Bakura __doesn__'__t __take __over __this __time __around. __I__'__m __sure __he__'__s __hoping __that __too. __I __wouldn__'__t __want __to __return __to __my __body __to __discover __another __slap __to __the __face._

I opened the door and gestured him in, taking a moment to switch my shoes and put my school bag by the door to my room.

"Feel free to go take a look and pick something out." I said to him, then slipped into my room to quickly change out of my school uniform (I _hate_ skirts) and slipped back into the living room.

Bakura was slowly looking across each shelf, reaching in and every so often pulling a book off the shelf to read the back. He glanced up as I walked in. "Oh, here you go." He handed me back my copy of _The__Icarus__Hunt_, and I went to reshelf it among the "Z" authors.

_Bakura_

Multi-tasking is hard. Trying to keep control of your body from an ancient spirit while holding a conversation is even harder. There are two conversations going on at once, and things can get very confusing.

'Let me talk to her.'

'No. You know what happened the last time.'

I could sense his grin. It made me frown.

'You have this bad habit of returning control to me when I am in pain, you know that?'

'Oh yes. I do it on purpose actually.'

I scowled at him. 'I thought you might.'

"See anything that catches your interest?"

I looked over at Aieko. "There's so many to choose from! It's hard to pick just one you know."

"Take as long as you want."

_I __don__'__t __want __to __take __too __much __longer_.

'Why? Afraid I'll do something rash?'

I closed my eyes and found myself standing in the doorway to my soul room, looking out at him on the other side. He was smirking, and I was glaring.

'I won't let you do anything. Not today.'

He raised a thin eyebrow. 'Oh really? Is that a challenge?'

I felt a flutter of fear in my stomach, but I squashed it down and tried to look defiant. 'No. It is a request. I _am_ the host after all; should you be helping me instead of trying to take over my life?'

He looked at me for a moment, then he started chuckling which quickly evolved into full-blown laughter. 'Help you? Haha! I am a _thief_ boy! I take things from others and make them my own! Did you expect me to be like the Pharaoh,' he sneered out the word, 'and baby you? Ha! I don't think so!'

I unconsciously retreat a step into my soul room, swallowed hard, and took my position back. I was _sick_ of appearing weak to him. A sudden idea popped into my head.

'If you behave for the rest of the time I'm with her, I'll let you challenge them to a duel.'

I almost winced as I said it; he cocked his head sideways, his hair floof-ing about like a large bird. 'Is that a deal?'

'Not a Shadow Game.' I added hurriedly. 'She wouldn't last five minutes in the Shadow Realm, and that would just steal away all the fun of beating her, wouldn't it?'

He thought about this for a long moment, and eventually, a grin spread onto his face.

'Very well. But let me ask her.'

I almost sighed. 'That's fair.'

"Bakura?"

Aieko was giving me a concerned look. I blinked watery eyes and shook my head, my own hair floof-ing about. "I'm fine. But… um, there's someone who wants to talk to you."

She gave me an odd look, and for the first time, I willingly traded spots with the spirit who shared my body.

_Aieko_

"Oh sh—"

Bakura stepped so swiftly towards me the curse was cut off with a gasp. He was leering.

"I have a proposition for you girl."

I scowled back, noting in a small part of my mind that he was talking to me, and not demanding to talk to Atena. Speaking of her, she had created a shadow body and was standing next to me, her arms folded and a not-happy expression on her face.

"I'm not a child."

"To me you are." He nearly snarled, reaching to possibly grab the front of my shirt. Before he got there, he paused, head cocked slightly; he seemed to be listening to something—or someone—only he could hear. After a moment, he scowled and took half a step back. "I _am_ three thousand years older than you."

"So I could call you an old man."

Atena chuckled, and his scowl deepened. "Listen," he hissed, "I have made an agreement with my host to behave this time around and not interfere with your time together."

I blinked. _What?_

"But in return, I get to duel you."

"What?"

A smile nearly split his face in two. I noticed, for the first time, that his canine teeth seemed sharper that Ryou's. "It has been too long since my monsters have had a chance to get out and move. All I want is a simple duel, not a Shadow Game; I promised my host and I will keep my word."

Atena's hand was resting on the Tauk, and it was glowing gently. 'He will.' She said confidently. 'But I don't know the outcome of the duel.'

'That's okay. I'm hoping it won't matter.'

I narrowed my eyes, not completely trusting him. "What's at stake?"

He smiled and held out his hands. "Just a friendly duel to brush the dust off my skills."

"Nothing? I don't believe that, thief."

He shrugged. "That's to be expected." He laid a finger on his forehead. "We will decide that when the duel comes. Fair?"

"Perhaps."

He smiled again, sending a shiver down my spine. "That's probably the best I'm going to get."

"It is."

He closed his eyes and chuckled once. "Heh. Good-bye then. Enjoy your time with my host."

The Ring shone briefly through his shirt, and Ryou opened his eyes gingerly.

"Interesting. Nothing's hurting right now."

I couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

And NaNoWriMo comes to a close once again. I didn't make it (even close) to 50k, but I'm still plugging away tonight! After this chapter, my word count is 31,084 and I'm expecting that to rise (hopefully) 4k more before midnight tonight. XD

Things are finally starting to come full circle here, and we're getting closer to the end. It will feel really nice to finally end it. I hope you all stay with me until the last word.

Next time! It's the end of finals! Yami and Atena get some alone time, where they talk about the upcoming summer and what is going to happen

Leave a review please! ^^


	24. What's to Come

Chapter 24

"What's to Come"

_Aieko_

No matter how long I stared at the sheet, I decided, that kanji was not going to unveil its meaning.

I leaned back in my chair, trying not to make noise but silently sighing. _What on earth is she asking?_ I thought, leaning forward and picking up my pencil again.

"One minute." The teacher announced from up front, looking at the watch on her wrist.

_Crap._

I frowned, bit my lip, then neatly scribbled out a phrase I hoped was the answer.

"Time's up; pencils down everyone."

Lots of groaning echoed around the room, mixed with some cheers and the sound of pencils clattering on the desk and paper's being passed forward.

The teacher smiled as she collected the papers from each row. "Congratulations everyone; you are free to go."

"WAHOOOOOO!" Jonouchi and Honda leapt up, happily shouting in unison. The entire class laughed, but I could tell most of them were just as happy.

"Aw, yeah! Never have to do any of that again!" Jonouchi said as he marched out of the school. The rest of us followed behind.

"You mean, you're not going on Jonouchi?" I asked, smiling and teasing.

"No way, are you kidding me? I'm gonna go out and find a job and finally move to my own place!"

"That's a good idea."

Yugi nodded. I could see he was agreeing with his friend—apparently, there was something about Jonouchi I didn't know about. But I could understand the blonde's desire to be on his own. I had wanted that for the longest time.

"Hey guys, let's go get some ice cream before going home!" Anzu suggested, and we all cheered.

We got to the small ice cream place and were just starting to eat. "So, Yugi says you guys are going to Egypt this summer?" I asked.

"Yes! I'm really looking forward to it." Anzu answered after swallowing her spoonful of strawberry ice cream. "Ah… do you… ah… want to come?"

I smiled. "No, you guys sound like you've been planning it for a while. Besides, I'm going to go back home to America. I'll get to see my brother again!"

"Hey, that'll be great!" Jonouchi interjected. "Maybe we can all leave on the same day or something."

"That's a good idea!" I said. "I haven't gotten my ticket yet, so I can arrange that easily."

'You're leaving here?'

I glanced over at Atena. "Yeah. I'm not from here; you know that. I miss my family."

The queen looked very troubled. 'What will happen to me then?'

I paused, a spoonful of ice cream halfway to my mouth. "I… I don't know."

'Yugi said something about how they were going to try to get At—gak, the pharaoh's memories back. Won't he need the Tauk to do that?'

I swallowed my ice cream. "You're right. I hadn't thought about that." We were both silent for a while, listening to everyone talk about their plans leading up to leaving for Egypt.

"Let's take some time to talk to Yugi and the pharaoh tonight. We can ask what they want us to do."

Atena nodded. 'That's a good idea. And you had better finish that before it completely melts.'

"Ah!" I grabbed my spoon and started attacking my ice cream again.

-0-

Later that evening, Atena and I were waiting at the small park by Yugi's home. A family was there; the two kids were playing with each other on the little playground. I watched them, smiling, but I could sense Atena's worry and sadness.

"What's up?"

'Hm?'

"Something's wrong, I can tell." I glanced over at her. She was also watching the kids. "What's wrong? Do you want to tell me?"

She sighed. 'I always get a little depressed when I see children. I died in childbirth, remember, so I never got to see or know my daughter.' She looked down at her hands. 'And that's a desire every mother has. But fate denied me that chance.' She became quiet. I didn't know what to say, and I couldn't very well pat her on the back while she was in a spirit form.

"Hey, look, there's Yugi." I pointed him out, though the kid was hard to miss with that hair of his. I waved him over, and he smiled and waved back and headed our direction. As he got closer, I could see that it was actually the Pharaoh controlling the body, and not Yugi.

"Atena's a little depressed." I told him quietly. "She's not sure what's going to happen to her…"

He nodded. "I'm not sure either, but I will do what I can to ease her fears."

I gave him a grateful smile. He may not remember much, but I could tell he really did love her. "That helps. Thanks."

I turned to face Atena. "You ready?"

She nodded, still looking down at her hands.

I almost sighed. "Come on now." I sat down beside her and invited the Pharaoh to sit beside me. "Don't worry. He'll make you feel better."

'I hope so.' She whispered, and then we switched.

_Yugi_

Yugi's spirit materialized next to his body as the Pharaoh paused. "Other me," he whispered. 'What's wrong?'

The Pharaoh blinked. 'Sorry _aibou_,' he answered back through his thoughts. 'I just get this… this sad feeling whenever I see innocent young children. Something I can't quite place.' He rubbed his knuckles against his forehead. 'Echoes of a memory…'

Yugi cleared his throat, pat the ancient spirit on the shoulder, and pointed across the park. 'There's Aieko and Atena. Let's go talk to them.'

They walked over, and the girls switched. Aieko's spirit formed next to Yugi, and she grabbed him by the elbow, leaving their bodies sitting on the bench.

'So, what's the plan?' She asked as they walked.

Yugi walked after her, one hand cupped around the Puzzle. 'To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure.'

Aieko halted, and Yugi walked though her. He shivered.

'What do you mean?' She asked.

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle. 'Well, I mean, I know what _I'm_ supposed to do, but I have no idea what's going to happen to the other… to the Pharaoh.'

'Why do you need to go to Egypt?'

'There's a stone slab on display at a museum there that I need to present these to.' Yugi reached in his pocket with his free hand and pulled out three Duel Monsters cards. 'The stone used to be on display at the museum here, but it was just moved back to Egypt.'

Aieko's eyebrow rose. 'Cards?'

He held them out to her. 'The three Egyptian God cards.'

'Huh. I think I've heard of those…' she took them from him and studied them for a long while. Yugi kept a hand on the Puzzle, hearing the conversation his other self was having, but he blocked it out of his mind, giving them privacy.

'So you… ah, present these cards to a… giant rock,' her face looked as though she was trying not to laugh, 'and then what?'

'Nobody knows,' Yugi said, taking the proffered cards back. 'Even other Item holders who have been guarding these secrets for generations really know.'

They fell into silence again, Yugi still forcing out the other conversation from his mind. He let go of the Puzzle, and the talking faded to a dull buzz.

'You'll need this, won't you?' Aieko asked quietly, fingertips resting on the Tauk.

Yugi nodded, trying to read something in her face. 'I have two now—the Puzzle and the Rod. You have the Tauk, Bakura has the Ring, and the Key and the Scales are in Egypt.' He paused. 'I… I'm not sure where the Eye is, but I know it'll show up.'

Her eyebrow rose again. 'How do you know?'

Yugi shrugged. 'The Items are drawn to each other for some reason. If six are gathered, the seventh is going to follow. I—I can just tell.'

'Huh, interesting.' Aieko stared at his Puzzle for a while, then sighed. 'It's funny… I haven't even worn the Tauk for a year, and yet I feel like giving it back to you is going to be like… like losing a part of me.' She glanced at Yugi. 'I can't even begin to imagine how you feel; you guys have been though a lot together, haven't you?'

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle and smiled. 'Is it that obvious?'

Aieko put a ghostly hand on his just as ghostly shoulder. 'What's obvious is that your friends are your greatest strength. All of them have the power to brighten your day, that much I can tell.' She grinned. 'Besides, that's the same way I feel about my brother, so yeah, you could say it's obvious to me.'

Yugi smiled back at her. 'You know… I mean, I don't want you to feel left out or anything, so if you want to come to Egypt with us…'

The Tauk glowed briefly, and Aieko shook her head. 'No, I don't think that's going to happen. Everybody else has been with you from the beginning, when you finished the Puzzle, right?' Yugi nodded. 'Then it's their duty to follow through with you to the end.' She paused, and touched the Tauk again. 'I don't see myself in Egypt, but back home in America. After that, well…' she shrugged, 'the future's an uncertain thing. I think I'll try to bring my brother back to meet you guys.'

'I'd like that.'

"_Aibou_."

Yugi looked over his shoulder at the park they had left behind. Judging from Aieko's reaction, Atena was talking to her.

'It sounds like they're done,' Aieko remarked. 'Shall we head back?' Yugi nodded, and together, they walked back, stopping abruptly when they got to the park.

The spirits possessing their bodies were kissing.

Yugi felt a heat spread like fire across his face. _Oh Anzu, PLEASE don't walk by right now…_

But nobody else walked in the now-empty park, and they were able to get their bodies back, both ancient spirits looking rather flushed.

Yami laughed at Yugi's embarrassment, his own face rather pink. 'Sorry _aibou_, we didn't think you would be back so quickly.'

'Yes, well, I'm just glad that nobody else saw!' Yugi retorted, glancing over at Aieko. She appeared to be having her own heated mental conversation.

They parted ways, Aieko gave a distracted good-bye, and Yugi headed back to the game shop.

"So, what did you talk about?"

Yami gave him a sideways look. 'You didn't listen in?'

Yugi shook his head. "I was having my own conversation."

'She told me more about life was like, and I told her what our upcoming plans are, and what we have to do in Egypt.' He looked up at the darkening spring sky. 'She didn't seem very happy that she wouldn't have a host to go to Egypt with us.'

"I'm not surprised," Yugi said, arriving at the shop and pulling out his key. "She wants to be there for whatever you have to go through too, but…"

'She used the Tauk and saw Aieko in America while we would be in Egypt.'

Yugi nodded. "Aieko did the same thing."

Little bells chimed as he walked in the front door. Grandpa looked up from cleaning the counters and smiled at his grandson. "Hello Yugi! How did your finals go?"

"Better than usual." Yugi picked up a rag to help with the cleaning. "I'm pretty sure I've passed all my classes."

"Ho, that's good to hear," Grandpa smiled and too, the rag out of Yugi's hand. "I'm almost done here, and you've got a big trip you're leaving for in a few days, so why don't you go start getting ready?"

"You sure Grandpa?"

"I'm sure," he said, spraying the glass countertop with cleaner. "This is the last case to clean, and I know how much you've been looking forward to going to Egypt. Go on," he said, making shooing motions with his hand. "I'll be right up."

Yugi gave the old man a quick hug. "Thanks Grandpa," he said, then ran up the stairs to the apartment they lived in above the shop.

* * *

Graduation is the best thing in the world. :la:

We're getting very close to the end now; just a few chapters left.

My goal is to finish all of these fics before out baby is born in June (why yes I am pregnant, thank you for noticing. XD)

Next time! Preparations are underway with everybody ready to travel to Egypt! But there's still one promise that hasn't been fulfilled yet…

Leave a review please! ^^


	25. A Promise -- A Duel

A/N: I'm not up to speed on the current list of rules/banned cards in the real TCG, so I use the duel rules from the Battle City arc of the manga. I'll also add the attack and defense of each monster card played in brackets after it's summoned, like this: [att/def].

* * *

Chapter 25

"A Promise—A Duel"

_Aieko_

I picked up my deck and brushed off a thin layer of dust.

'Are you sure you want to go through with this?' Atena asked.

'Not really,' I replied, sitting down at my desk and pulling out a small shoebox full of cards. 'But I promised. And he _did_ keep his word, so I should keep mine.'

'I don't trust him,' she said flatly.

'I don't trust him either,' I said, spreading my deck out and frowning, 'but I did promise.'

Atena shook her head but didn't say anything. I dug though my box, still frowning. 'Bakura mentioned that he uses an occult-themed deck, so…' I traded cards from my deck with those in my box, muttering to myself.

After almost an hour, I sat back in my chair. 'I think that's the best it's going to get with what I have.'

Atena leaned over the desk, looking at all the cards I had spread out. She laid two fingers on my 'Wingweaver' card, a slight smile on her face.

I glanced up and met her gaze. 'Well, you _did_ see me use it in that vision you had,' I said.

'Yes, I did,' she whispered.

We stared at the cards a while longer, then I gathered them together. "Here goes nothing…"

-0-

The next day, we met everyone outside the game shop. Yugi lent me his Duel Disk; Bakura arrived as I put it on.

"Glad to see you haven't backed out," the ancient thief said, stopping at the other side of the street.

"Why would I?" I asked, hefting the Disk.

"Because of what we are going to duel for," he replied, his grin widening.

I lifted an eyebrow. "What's at stake?"

"Items," he said, and pulled a small gold object out of his pocket. "I'll ante up the Millennium Eye against your Tauk."

There was a gasp from behind me and another one in my mind, and I heard Jonouchi snarl something.

I hesitated, brushing my fingertips against the Tauk.

"But really," Bakura continued casually, "it doesn't matter who wins, because Yugi will get all of the Items in the end. As I said, this is just a friendly duel, with the winner getting the honor to give two Items to the Pharaoh."

I glanced back at Yugi and saw the Pharaoh standing behind him, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Fine," I said, raising my arm and activating the Disk. "I agree."

Bakura grinned like a jackal and activated his own Disk. "Excellent."

We drew our cards and the Life Point counters ticked up to 4000.

"Let's Duel!"

"I'll go first," Bakura said, drawing a card. "I'll place two cards face down, and The Portrait's Secret [1200/1500] in defense mode."

"My turn," I said, drawing.

'Be careful,' Atena whispered in my mind.

'Don't worry,' I replied, grinning, 'I've got this.' I slid a card into a spell slot. "I'll activate a spell card, Giant Trunade! All your magic and traps cards are returned to your hand."

Bakura frowned, taking the cards back.

"Now I'll summon Maha Vailo [1550/1400] in attack mode," I said, pulling the monster from my hand. The spellcaster appeared on the field, and I pointed. "Attack his facedown monster!"

Maha Vailo stretched out his hands, and Bakura's monster disappeared in a bolt of lightning. Bakura's frown deepened.

"I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"My turn," Bakura said, drawing. "I'll summon Man-Eating Treasure Chest [1600/1000] in attack mode and destroy your Maha Vailo."

"No you won't," I grinned. "I'll activate my trap card: Reinforcements! Maha Vailo gains 500 extra attack points this turn. And, due to his special effect, he gains an extra 500 attack points for every card equipped to him. His 2550 attack points are more than enough to fry your zombie to dust!"

Bakura grimaced, and watched his Life Points tick down to 3050. "A good combo," he growled, setting two cards facedown. "But now that my turn's up, your trap card effect ends."

I nodded, and drew. "I'll set one card facedown and summon Witch of the Black Forest in attack mode. You've got no monsters Bakura: take two direct attacks!"

"No!" Yugi yelled. "One of his cards has got to be a trap card!"

"Too late!" Bakura said, one of his facedown cards flipping up. "Mirror Force! All your monsters are destroyed!"

I gasped as my monsters were ripped apart by their own attacks. "Rrgh…" I growled. "At least I can add another monster to my hand, courtesy of Witch of the Black Forest's special ability." I pulled my other Maha Vailo out of my deck, shuffled it, and put it back into the Disk.

"My turn!" Bakura said, drawing again. "I'll summon Headless Knight [1450/1700]." He paused, glanced at my facedown card, then back up at me. I swallowed. "I'll call your bluff," he said, grinning. "Direct attack on the player!"

"Guh!" I grunted, taking the attack. My Life Points ticked down to 2550.

"Hang in there Aieko!" Anzu said.

"You've got this!" Jonouchi said, pumping his fist.

I shook my head to clear it, then drew. "I'll summon the monster I took from my deck last turn: Maha Vailo, attack his Headless Knight!"

Bakura smiled, the breeze from his destroyed monster ruffling his hair, his Life Points decreasing to 2950. "It's my turn." He drew, and his smile widened. "I'll activate this: Ultimate Offering!" He spread his arms, his smile sending a shiver down my spine. "This allows the players an extra summoning for a mere five hundred Life Points. So," he pulled two cards from his hand. "I'll summon Dragon Zombie [1600/0], and pay the Life Points to also summon Opticlops [1800/1700]. [Life Points: 2450] Destroy her monster and attack her directly!"

I threw my arms up, wincing as I took direct damage again. My Life Points dropped to 700; I frowned at the counter.

'How am I going to make it through this?'

'You will; there's a monster that does your bidding, remember?' Atena said, smiling tightly, her fingers on the Tauk.

_That's right…_ I remembered. _Her vision…_

I looked down at my deck and swallowed again. _I have no monsters on the field, the monsters in my hand aren't strong enough to defeat his, and my facedown card can't protect me from another attack. I could summon the two monsters I have in my hand,_ I thought, glancing down at the cards, _but that would leave me with only two hundred Life Points, and that's not a situation I want to be in. I need to draw something good or I'm toast._

"Aieko!" Yugi called. I looked back at him. "As long as you have Life Points, you've got to keep fighting on!" Behind him, the Pharaoh gave me a thumbs up.

I smiled. "Thanks," I said, and drew. "I play the Swords of Revealing Light!"

Bakura threw his arm up against the blinding light. "So you too have the same luck…" he said, glancing over at Yugi. "I'll switch my monsters to defense mode and end my turn."

I drew again, and sighed with relief. "I'll play a magic card: Dark Hole! All the monster cards on the field are destroyed!"

"All right! That's the way to do it Aieko!" Jonouchi yelled. I couldn't help but smile.

Bakura scowled, and drew. "I can do nothing. I'll end my turn."

I drew, and smiled. "I'll play Mystical Elf [800/2000] in attack mode. Direct attack!"

The spell hit Bakura, taking his Life Points down to 1650, but he didn't even flinch.

"I draw," he said. He pulled his card; the smile that spread across his face sent a shiver down my back. "And now I'll summon my occult deck's ultimate monster!" He said, holding the card between two fingers. "By sacrificing three spirits of the dead in my Graveyard, I can summon this: Dark Necrofear! [2200/2800]"

The monster crept out of the card from behind a curtain of fog, and I took several steps backwards. _That's so… freaky…_

"With the Swords of Revealing Light still in play, I can't do anything yet," Bakura said, folding his arms. "Your turn."

I drew. "I'll summon Soul Tiger [0/2100] in defense mode, then switch Mystical Elf to defense mode as well."

Bakura drew, not bothering to look at the card, keeping his frightening gaze on me. "And with that I'll end my turn," he said, and the Swords faded. "Draw your final card."

I took a deep breath; put my fingers on my deck, and Atena twitched. Without looking, I sacrificed my two monsters and put the card I just drew on the Disk. "I summon Wingweaver! [2750/2400]"

Bakura's mouth gaped open in a silent gasp.

"Attack!"

The fairy flapped her six wings, and a powerful bolt of blue struck through Bakura's monster, destroying it, and connected with Bakura's chest. He slid back several feet.

"How very like you," he wheezed, "to summon her in your greatest need." He drew, and his grimace of pain became a smirk of glee. "But that ends here. I play a magic card: Change of Heart!"

"No!" Yugi's yell was echoed by the Pharaoh.

"But yes!" Bakura countered. A spirit floated out of the card towards my monster. Wingweaver shuddered as it possessed her, and she floated numbly over to Bakura's side of the field.

"Wingweaver!" I shouted, feeling the color drain out of my skin. "What did you do to her?"

Bakura grinned. "There's a reason it's my host's favorite card; Change of Heart allows me to take control of one enemy monster for one turn. Long enough to defeat you with your own servant!" He spread his arms again and laughed. "Attack your former master!"

Wingweaver shuddered again, and flapped her six wings. I had enough time to gasp and hear Atena's gasp in my mind before the blue bolt struck me in the chest, sending me flying backwards. I landed hard on my back, knocking the wind out of me.

I laid there for a minute, then rolled over to my side and groaned.

"You okay Aieko?" I looked up; Yugi was kneeling next to me, one hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah," I coughed. "Just peachy. Except I lost."

"And you know what that means," Bakura's voice said from above me. He was standing on my other side, one hand held out. "Your Item."

"Bakura, no, it wasn't fair!" Yugi said, standing up and facing the thief.

Bakura turned to him, eyes narrowing. "It wasn't _fair?_" He whispered, his voice deadly quiet. "It was plenty fair. She agreed to the terms of the duel and she lost, so therefore she must give her Item to me." He turned back to me. "Say your good-byes to the princess."

"But—"

"No Yugi, he's right," I said, sitting up. I took my deck out of the Duel Disk and handed it back to him. "Thanks for letting me borrow this." He took it back, looking depressed. I reached up undid the clasp to the Tauk, and held it for a moment.

'I guess this is good-bye…'

I sighed and squeezed the Tauk. 'I suppose so.'

Atena knelt next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. 'Thank you for everything Aieko,' she said. 'No matter what happens when we go to Egypt, I'll always have these memories of my time with you.'

I smiled. 'I won't ever forget you.'

'Nor I you. Good-bye Aieko.'

'Good-bye… Queen Atena.'

She smiled, and her shadow form faded as I gave Bakura the Tauk. "There," I said, standing up and brushing off the bottom of my pants. I turned and looked the thief in the eye. "Thanks for the duel." Turning back to the direction of the bus stop, I shoved my hands in my pocket and walked away.

"Aieko!"

I looked over my shoulder; everybody was running after me. "Yeah?"

"Where are you going?" Anzu asked.

"Home," I said. "I still have a bit more packing to do."

She smiled. "Why don't we all go out one last time together?"

I smiled back. "I'd like that a lot."

_Yugi_

Yugi took a step towards the group, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Yugi. I need to speak with you."

He looked up with surprise at the Spirit of the Ring. "O…okay?"

"Yugi, Bakura, you comin'?" Jonouchi called.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a bit," Yugi called back. He turned to the Spirit. "What?"

Bakura smiled. "I know that sooner or later, you're going to need all seven Millennium Items. But," he grabbed the Ring, "the Ring belongs to me. I'll hand it over to you only when you need it, and no sooner. But here," he held out his other hand, which had the Tauk and Eye, "in return for making you wait, I'll give you these."

Yugi took half a step back, a frown on his face.

"Once you've gathered the other six Items, then I'll give the Ring to you," Bakura smiled. "Take these as my way of swearing loyalty."

Yugi's frown and misgivings deepened.

_Nobody knows what happened to Pegasus after Duelist Kingdom… so how did Bakura get the Millennium Eye?_

"Yugi… when you solved the Millennium Puzzle, you released the Pharaoh's soul into this world. In that moment, you became the chosen one to restore his lost memories." Bakura held his hand out again, and the Eye clinked gently against the Tauk. "To do that, you need all seven of the Millennium Items. I'm giving you the Eye and the Tauk so you can use them for their destined purpose. Once you have six, I'll give you the seventh—the Ring. You have my word!"

Yugi hesitated, but he took the Eye and Tauk from Bakura. _Why is he being so friendly and helpful? He used to be after the Millennium Items… he even tried to _kill_ me… I can't trust him so easily!_

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "What? You look suspicious."

"Tell me why you want to help me," Yugi said, slipping the Eye and Tauk into his pocket.

Bakura looked down and touched the Ring. "I, too, am a soul trapped within a Millennium Item. I was sealed in the Ring three thousand years ago. I can't do anything without a host body… so Yugi, I want to go to the afterlife too! When the Pharaoh gets his memories back and goes there, so will I!"

Yugi's hand tightened around the Eye and the Tauk. _I don't know what Bakura's up to, but he's right: it's my duty to collect all of the Items. I have four now… all that's left are Bakura's Ring, and Shadi's Items—the Key and the Scales. We're getting close!_

"Yugi, you're traveling to Egypt with your friends tomorrow, right?"

"Yes."

"My host is looking forward to it," Bakura smirked and turned away. "I'll be watching you from the shadows… we'll meet again."

There was a brief flash of light, and Bakura stumbled. He turned around, looking slightly confused.

"Yugi…? What…?"

Yugi smiled. "Hey Ryou. We were all just going to get a burger. Want to come?"

Ryou looked at him, then looked down the street where the rest of their friends were gathered. "Yeah… sure." He paused, then fell into step beside Yugi. "Hey, did, ah, the Spirit of the Ring just…?"

Yugi sighed. "I don't know if you were watching, but he beat Aieko in a duel."

Ryou froze.

"Don't worry," Yugi assured him, "she's fine." He pulled the Tauk out of the pocket. "They dueled over the Items instead of their souls."

"Oh. That's good then." He paused. "But, then she and Atena aren't in contact anymore, are they?"

Yugi shook his head. "I don't think so… but I'm going to give it back to her so they have time for a real good-bye before we leave tomorrow."

Ryou nodded. "That's nice of you."

"Thanks. I'm sure they'll both be happy."

They caught up with their friends and walked inside the restaurant with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Argh, duels are harder than fight scenes… D: I tried to get the spirit of the manga in that scene, so I hope it played out well for you all… hnrgh… I completely rewrote it too, and I even used my own deck to play out Aieko's side of the duel (mostly. There were some cards I needed/wanted to use that aren't in there, but everything else happened as I drew it)

Also, the conversation between Yugi and the Spirit of the Ring at the end there was basically verbatim from the manga (Millennium World, vol. 1), though shortened a bit. So I can't claim any of that, except the fact that I added the Tauk in there—in the manga, Bakura just gives the Eye to Yugi, since Yugi already has the Tauk.

We are almost done! Just one chapter to go… then the fic that took FOREVER to write will finally be done!

Remember when I said I wanted to finish this by June?

PFT

Next time: farewells all around

**Leave a review please!**


	26. Until the Next Life

Chapter 26

"Until the Next Life"

_Aieko_

I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, watching it grow slowly lighter with the rising sun.

'When do you have to leave?'

'In a few hours,' I said, directing my thoughts to the shadow-figure sitting on the end of my bed. 'I need to be there early to get through security and… to meet Yugi and everyone before we all leave.'

Atena was quiet, her fingers on the Tauk. 'So this really is the end, isn't it?'

'I suppose so,' I said, my posture imitating hers. I hadn't taken the Tauk off—even to sleep—after Yugi gave it back to me yesterday.

'Aieko.'

'Hm?'

'I… I'm scared.'

I sat up to look at Atena. She was staring out the window, a faraway look in her eyes. 'Why?'

'I don't want to experience death again.' Her voice was hushed, and wavered slightly.

I placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I don't think you will. You're already dead, right? You have to be living to die again.'

She gave me a flat look. 'That makes me feel so much better.'

I grinned. 'You're getting really good that this sarcasm stuff.'

She rolled her eyes.

-0-

I shuffled through security, again marveling at how much more efficient and less panic-y it was than the airport security in America. Sitting on a bench, I put the Tauk back on, then shuffled through my bag, putting away my passport, ticket, and wallet, and bent down to put my shoes on.

'What's the purpose of all of this?' Atena asked, waving a hand around the security set up.

'To keep people safe,' I replied, tightening one lace and moving on to the next. 'The idea is that they'll catch anyone with weapons before they get on a plane and wreak havoc.'

'That's happened before?'

I pulled a face. 'Too many times. Way too many times.'

'Oh.'

She didn't say anything, but glided along and I went to a map and squinted at it, trying to decipher the tiny English print underneath the kanji.

"You look like you need some help."

I whirled around. "Bakura!"

The white-haired young man smiled at me, a small carry bag slung over his shoulder. "Hello again Aieko."

I relaxed muscles I didn't know were tense when I noticed it was Ryou speaking. "I didn't see you on the bus on the way here," I said as he stepped next to me and looked at the map.

"I was almost to the stop when I realized I had forgotten a couple of things; I went back to go get them and I missed the bus so I had to wait for the next one."

"Ah."

"Here's the place where we're supposed to meet everyone," Bakura said, pointing at a little restaurant between two wings of the building. He looked over at me, paused, then held out his hand. "May I carry your bag?"

I blinked, then smiled. "Sure; thanks."

Atena's head tilted in confusion. 'What…?'

'It's called chivalry,' I responded, falling into step next to him. 'And I'm glad to see it's not completely dead.'

We chatted about the results we got from our classes and other things in general, but we avoided the topic of Egypt and what would be happening there.

Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, and Anzu were waiting at the restaurant, bags sitting next to their chairs. They were all smiling and chatting happily, though I could see the Pharaoh standing quietly a few steps away, his face unreadable.

Anzu looked up and waved us over. "Hey guys! Glad you could make it!"

I smiled and snagged an empty seat next to Jonouchi, and Bakura lowered himself into the other empty one next to mine. "I wouldn't miss seeing you guys one last time before everything changes," I said. "You all have been great friends to me while I was here."

Jonouchi slapped a hand on my shoulder. "Of course! But you make it sound like we'll never see each other again."

I shrugged. "Well… we're done and graduated, right? We'll all be going our separate ways?"

"Not for a while," Anzu said, rubbing the back of her left hand. "Even so, our friendship will always last and be a part of all of us, no matter how far apart in space or time we may be." She glanced at Yugi as she said this, looking down at his Puzzle.

I raised an eyebrow. "All of _us_? Or all of _you_?"

"All of _us_," Honda emphasized. "You're our friend too Aieko. We'll always be thinking of you along with everyone else."

I smiled, blinking several times to keep my eyes from getting wet. "Thanks guys."

"Of course!" Jonouchi said. "Now who else wants to eat something? I'm starved!"

We all got in line, and I was looking up at the menu, when Yugi tapped my shoulder. "You okay?" He asked.

I stared at the menu for a moment longer, then looked down at him. "I'm gonna miss her, you know."

He nodded. "I understand how you feel," he said, cupping a hand around the Puzzle. "We've been companions for _years_, and now…" he hesitated, then sniffed loudly. "Well, what'll happen will happen, and everything will work out in the end."

I couldn't help but smile. "You're a very positive person, Yugi. I envy that in you."

He grinned, a light blush spreading across his cheeks. "Well, sometimes, you just need a positive outlook to make it through to the next day. If things aren't good, it's not the end."

_It's not the end…_ I repeated in my mind, and suddenly sniffled also. "Yeah. That's a good way of putting it. Thanks Yugi."

He smiled, but looked a little confused. "You're welcome."

We ate, talked, and laughed together, the six of us. All too soon, it came time to head to our separate planes and make our way to opposite sides of the world. We stood at the intersection of the two wings, and Atena materialized next to me.

'What I said yesterday still stands,' she said, smiling at me. 'Whatever happens, I will always have my memories of my time with you.'

I smiled back. 'And I won't ever forget you.'

She held her hand out, and I took it. 'I'll miss you.'

'And I you. Now go; be with your family again.' I squeezed her hand. 'I'll see you in the next life.'

Her soul hugged mine. 'Until then, Aieko. May Ra forever cast his smile upon you.'

I retreated from my soul room, fingers resting on the Tauk. I took it off and gave it to Yugi, and she was gone.

"Thank you Aieko," Yugi said. The Puzzle flashed and the Pharaoh stood in front of me. He looked down at the Tauk for a long moment, then looked up at me. "You helped me on my path to regain my memories. Though when I do, I will never forget the kindness you showed me… showed us," he said, indicating the Tauk.

I smiled, and tried to talk around the lump in my throat. "Anytime." I hesitated, then gave him a hug. "Take good care of her, okay?" I whispered.

He nodded. "I will."

We separated, and they waved good-bye and started down the hallway. I sighed and put my hands in my pocket. A piece of paper crinkled.

"Oh! Bakura!" I called.

He looked back, said something to the others, and came back towards me while they all went on. "What is it?"

I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and gave it to him. "Here," I said. "I don't know when you'll be back from Egypt, but I'll probably still be with my family. I'd like it… a lot… if you could come visit."

He frowned, then opened the envelope. "Aieko… I can't take this." He handed it back.

"Just give me a call," I said, pushing the envelope into his chest. "Let me know when to come pick you up. My number's on a note in there."

He stared at the contents of the envelope a moment longer, then he bent and put it into his bag. "Thank you Aieko. I would love to come visit you."

"Good," I said, taking his hand. "I'll be seeing you soon then."

He smiled, and on impulse I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Have fun in Egypt!" I said, grabbing my bag and quickly retreating. His face looked about as red as mine felt.

"Fly safely!" He called back. "Until the end of the summer!"

"Until then!"

We waved and turned, walking away from each other.

As I walked, my fingertips rested on my throat at the spot where the Tauk used to be. "Until then," I repeated softly.

* * *

CELEBRATION CONFETTI

**\^_^/**

What was in the envelope you ask? You be the judge of that. :)

Next time: the epilogue

**Love me and leave a review please!**


	27. Epilogue: Fifteen Years Later

Epilogue

"Fifteen Years Later"

"Mom, I don't like wearing this head wrap thing."

"Yes, I know honey," brown eyes glanced down at her daughter, "but you need to wear it. We need to blend in."

The girl pouted and turned to her father. "Daaaaaaddy…"

"Your mother's right," he said, adjusting his own wrap and tucking a stray strand of white hair underneath. "It's not very safe here."

"Then why are we here?" Their son asked. "I still don't understand."

Mother looked out to the western horizon, fingertips automatically straying to her throat. "Because there's something I need to see," she finally said.

-0-

Bakura led his little family through the Valley of the Kings with confidence, despite the length of time that passed since he had been there. He held tightly to his daughter's hand.

"It's still the same," he said out loud. "Even though the country and the world are in turmoil, the resting place of the great pharaohs still remains the same."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aieko shade her face with her hands. "How do you know where it is? Every sand mound looks the same as all the others."

Bakura shrugged.

"Daddy…" his daughter tugged at his sleeve. "I'm getting really hot. Can we get out of the sun?"

He knelt down next to her, pulling a water bottle out of his bag and giving it to her. "Yes we will. We're almost there." As she drank, he stood up and looked around. After a moment, he closed his eyes and replayed the memory in his head from fifteen years ago. The walk to the shrine…

"That way," he said, pointing to their right. "Not much further now."

Their son scrambled up the dune in the direction he had pointed. "Hey, there's an entrance leading underground over here! And there's someone else too…"

_Someone else?_ Bakura thought, following after his son. He reached the top of the dune and looked down. The boy had been right. There was someone kneeling at the entrance to the shrine of the underworld.

"What do you think?" Aieko asked, coming up next to him. "Should we come back later?"

Bakura thought for a moment, then laughed. "I don't think we have a choice," he said, pointing. Their children had slid down the dune and were heading over to the kneeling figure.

Aieko swore softly and headed down after them. "Manta! Kyoki! Come back here!"

They had reached the figure and were talking with him, from what Bakura could tell. He followed everyone down, feeling sand grains slip into his shoes. As he approached, the other figure stood and took off his head wrap, letting his hair go free.

"Yugi!"

Their friend smiled. "I should've known I wouldn't be alone here today."

"Uncle Yugi!" Kyoki hugged him tight. "Why are you here in Egypt?"

Yugi smiled and pat the top of her wrapped head. "The same reason as you, I think," he said, hugging her back. "I came to see the shrine."

Bakura sensed Aieko hesitate next to him, then she stepped forward, pulling the wrap off her head. "Yugi… is… are the Items…?"

He looked down the steps, a sad expression on his face. "No. They fell to the depths of the earth after we finished our duel."

"Oh," Aieko said quietly.

Bakura joined them at the top of the steps. "I, for one, am not sad to see my Item gone," he said bluntly.

"Can we go down and look at least?" Manta asked, walking down the first few steps.

Aieko looked at Bakura, who shrugged. "As long as we're careful."

"That means we can get out of the sun!" Kyoki said, and followed her brother down the steps.

"Hey you two; wait for me!" Aieko said, and followed them.

Their footsteps faded away to echoes before Bakura spoke to Yugi. "It's the anniversary, isn't it?"

Yugi nodded, his face hidden partly under his hair.

"What were you doing, kneeling in the sand like that?"

Yugi held out his hand and showed Bakura the cards he had been holding. Bakura took them, feeling his eyebrows rise. The top card was the "Dark Magician."

"Every year, on this day, I come here and bring my offering to the Pharaoh," Yugi said, his voice sounding odd—as though he were trying to speak around a lump in his throat. "This is the deck he used in our last duel. I bury one card every year up here. The Other Me… Atem has achieved his final rest. His servants need to follow him."

"Why not bury them all at once?" Bakura asked, handing the cards back.

Yugi shrugged. "Partly because one at a time feels right. And partly because it gives me a reason to come back to see him every year."

"Ah."

Silence.

"Your kids have really grown," Yugi said. "How old are they now?"

"Manta's ten, and Kyoki's seven," Bakura replied, turning to face the entrance to the shrine, watching the darkness for them. "And already they're both avid gamers."

Yugi chuckled. "Considering their heritage, that doesn't surprise me."

Bakura smiled. "Manta's quite the D.M. already. You and Anzu should bring your kids over to play Monster World sometime."

Yugi nodded and put the cards back in his pocket. "I would like that." He paused. "Shall we go join them?"

"After you."

As Yugi started down the steps, Bakura took one last look around the dunes. "I can see why you loved it here Father," he said quietly. The wind blew gently in response, ruffling the edges of his wrap. He pulled the material off his head and let the sun reflect off his white hair.

He stood that way for a moment, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth; then he turned and headed down to the shrine to join his family.

THE END

* * *

MOAR CELEBRATION CONFETTI

***\^_^/***

Next time: author's final thoughts.

**Leave a review please!**


	28. Author's Final Thoughts

"Within the Traces of My Memories…"

Author's Final Thoughts

Woooooph. And I mean WOOPH.

It's done. I can't believe it's finally DONE.

You guys, I started writing this fic in 9th grade. I was a freshman in high school. Now, I've graduated high school, graduated college, gotten married, and started a family. In all those nine years this fic has been a constant in my life; always in the back of my mind. But now, it's done.

How do I feel? Happy, certainly. Relieved… and disgusted in a way too. I look back at the beginning chapters (the first 12 to be precise) and I cringe and try to not throw up. SUCH BAD WRITING, UGH. I commend you if you managed to stick with me through the horror of the bad writing to the point where I actually feel somewhat okay with what I managed to come up with.

Looking back, there are lots of things I would've changed. Atena and Aieko, for starters. In the beginning they're _such_ Mary-Sues… and Atena kinda remained that way through the whole thing, especially in the parts in Egypt. Their relationship to each other, and to Bakura—especially the one between Atena and Thief Bakura—needs some serious looking over and revision.

Baaaaaasically I want to redo the whole thing.

*shudder*

It took me nine years to write the first draft; imagine how long the second would take! Haha.

Anyways, I did learn several things over the course of this fic. The first, and most important thing, was just how much I love writing. I remember how it started: it was in my high school computer class, and to fill the free time after we finished our lesson, our teacher gave us prompts and encouraged us to write a short story, particularly to help us with our typing. I was extremely obsessed with this fandom at the time, and one of the prompts caught my eye: "Down, down the stairs it rolled…" and the image of Atena chasing after the dropped Tauk played so clearly in my head that I just had to write it down. Eventually it expanded, went through several friends and rewrites, and then became the first chapter that it is today. Vomit-inducing, but it was a start. As the fic went on I realized just how much I enjoyed telling this story, of creating interactions between the characters, and how much I loved knowing that other people were reading my work, even if they weren't telling me about it. And actually knowing that people were reading and enjoying it and begging me to go on really made me feel special and important and loved, and who doesn't like that? But now I feel I've moved on from writing to get reviews to writing to tell this story and expand the vision Takahashi-san started so many years ago—though in my own way.

The second thing this fic established for me was my online identity: PharaohsQueen. I came up with that as a pen name when I first posted this (on another site that I can't remember the name of anymore), and brought it into play in chapter… 3? I think? Ever since then, PharaohsQueen has been my handle on numerous sites, from to deviantArt to even my college's sci-fi/fantasy club boards (there are people there who _only_ know me as PharaohsQueen—PQ for short—and not by my real name. ^^; ). It's really become a large part of who I am, in an odd sort of way.

The third thing I learned was that I will NEVER EVER EVER write the same way about pregnancy and child birth now that I have actually been through the real thing myself. Oh, you can read about it, sure, and get the gist of what happens, but it's one of those things that you can never _really_ understand until you've experienced it yourself. I managed to get a couple of things right, but there are parts where I wince and think "oh, that was where I went with the clichés and that's actually not what it's like at all."

So why not go back and fix all these things I'm complaining about?

BECAUSE I AM SO DONE WITH THIS YOU GUYS. _SO. DONE. WITH. THIS._ There, I've typed "THE END" now time to move on. Someday I may feel the desire to rewrite, and actually go through with it, but that will probably be a loooooooong time from now. If ever.

Though I'm SO DONE WITH THIS, this fic has and always will hold a special place in my heart. Several times it's rekindled my interest in the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom (I never left the fandom… just found other things to be distracted by), and it really has helped shaped me into the writer I am today. A big thanks to everyone who helped me with it, from my family who let me write (even though they didn't understand what the heck I was writing about), to my friends who tolerated my random bursts of fangirl-ness and read it and encouraged me, to all my readers who read and encouraged me as well—everyone, whether you reviewed or not. Just knowing that I'm entertaining someone and making their day brighter by doing something with this talent of mine is enough to make me want to continue and work harder to improve. And the biggest thanks of all goes to Kazuki Takahashi, for coming up with such a wonderful story and characters, and helping to jump-start my interest in manga, anime, and writing all those many years ago. I wouldn't be the person I am today without the Yu-Gi-Oh! fandom in my life.

So what do I do now that I've finished?

I write something else of course. :)

Until the next time, my friends.

Keep writing.

PharaohsQueen


End file.
